Celestial Chronicles 03: The Ultimate Gamble
by MartyCessna
Summary: The fleet is threatened again, this time by forces within. Can it withstand treason as well as the Cylons,Or is there perhaps a greater evil to be fought? And can Apollo come to terms with his feelings before it is too late? Sequel to Sudden Command
1. Part 1

Battlestar Galactica: The Celestial Trilogy

Writer: E.B. O'Neal

4/28/2006

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lt. Celeste grinned, dramatically flipping the light switch in the maintenance bay. It had been two sectons since she'd been given her very own ship to refit. She had spent all her time on the ship, and it had paid off.

Celeste's friends stared with awe at her vessel. Or perhaps it was shock. Celeste couldn't tell, but she'd take either one.

Captain Apollo, Celeste's best friend and squadron leader, was the first to speak, "It's certainly…unique."

"It's _you_," Lt. Starbuck, Celeste's brother, added, "I especially like the armor-plated stabilizer flaps."

"The double-cockpit was a nice touch." Lt. Boomer, another of Celeste's friends, remarked.

Lt. Zac, Apollo's younger brother, raised his eyebrows, "Nice color scheme, too."

Celeste smiled proudly at her finished project, "I decided to stick with the original colors of the parts," she declared. Then she rolled her eyes, "Actually, I just couldn't find very much paint."

"I'll never know how you did it," Starbuck marveled, "That thing looks almost spaceworthy!"

Celeste gave him a dirty look.

Starbuck grinned, "Just kidding, she looks great."

Zac stood staring at the aft section of the converted shuttle, "Ok, I give up. What's 'lemonade'?"

Celeste nodded at the word 'Lemonade' painted on the ship, "It's a juice made from lemons. Usually, it tastes better than the lemon fruit itself because sweeteners are added to it. I named it that because of an old Tarusian saying. 'If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'"

The female lieutenant walked over to her ship, friends trailing behind her. She gestured towards the _Lemonade_'s multicolored hull, "I rebuilt her to fit the Viper launch tubes, spruced up the engines a bit, and added a few extra weapons and shielding, but other than that she's pretty much the same old _Lemon._"

"Except that now she's half spare parts." Starbuck pointed out, looking uncertainly at the ship.

"Yeah, but get this," Celeste said, "I studied parts from the captured Cylon ships to fix up an old Viper weapons-lock system. The lasers will lock onto a Cylon engine signature in the blink of an eye! And I also updated the onboard computer with some more…strategic information about the Cylons." She paused and looked proudly at her recreated ship. "I was low on weapons, too, so I borrowed some laser guns from those captured Cylon raiders. This baby has _six_ guns, plus an iridium grenade launcher! If that isn't well armed, I don't know what is."

Apollo, Starbuck, Zac, and Boomer all stared at Celeste for a while.

"Your ship's part Cylon now?" Zac said without thinking.

Celeste's eyes darkened, "Not any more than you or me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zac demanded, embarrassed at his words.

Apollo saw the conversation headed for disaster, "Come on, you guys. We're all tired. Let's go on sleep cycle."

Starbuck and Boomer nodded. "Good idea," they said at the same time.

The pilots slowly left the maintenance bay. Apollo stopped Celeste.

"Lieutenant."

"Yes?" Celeste still had that defiant look in her eye.

Apollo smiled at the spirited woman, "I don't know anyone else who could resurrect a decommissioned shuttle into a super-viper in only two sectons."

Celeste's expression softened, "Thanks, Captain."

Apollo nodded, "Your welcome." He left the bay.

Celeste looked at her ship and sighed. _Part Cylon? What about me? I was on that basestar longer than Zac was. Am I part Cylon? I know I still have "residual talents"…_

_I better go on sleep cycle. _

Celeste took one last look at her ship. The _Lemonade _looked like a hodgepodge of metal scraps, vaguely resembling a viper. But Celeste knew it was better off than it had been in yahrens.

She sighed, switched off the lights, and left the bay.

¤

Adama sat at his desk, talking into a recording device. The words he spoke were transcribed into text on the monitor on his desk. Then they were saved into his log.

When the commander was through with the general events of the day, he paused. There was one major issue that weighed heavily on his mind.

"The return of our lost warriors was a blessing, but it may also be the cause of a great deal of problems. A debate has arisen among the fleet. Many of these warriors retain effects from their time in Cylon captivity, and there are people in the fleet who believe that these warriors are as dangerous as the Cylons themselves. The intense hatred of our enemies has caused the people to be extremely apprehensive. One group of people, who call themselves the 'Peacemakers', have coupled prejudice with anticombatant ideals in what may prove to be an explosive combination." Commander Adama sighed, "I pray that this situation does not escalate. We may be facing a far more dangerous threat than even the Cylons ever were."

Adama set down the recording device and sat back in his chair. He looked across the room at the stars shining outside his window.

¤

"Starbuck!" Celeste said, stepping off the turbolift into the launching bay. She saw her brother inspecting his viper.

Starbuck turned around, "Hey, what are you doing here? Officially, you're still on furlon."

Celeste rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know. Do me a favor and don't tell the captain I came down here." Celeste shook her head, "I just had to get away from all the crazy people for a while."

Starbuck nodded, "What's up with everyone, anyway? Even Boomer's been acting weird!"

"I know!" Celeste said, "I just saw him in the officer's lounge. He seemed really worried."  
Starbuck looked at his viper, "There's something going on that we don't know about. You know it's been sentons since Blue Squadron's been called on an alert?"

Celeste frowned, "I thought that the Cylons were getting _more_ persistent, not less!"

"They were." Starbuck answered, "At least, until you showed up." He grinned at her, "Maybe a half-exploded basestar and a destroyed prototype ship are making them think twice about attacking us."

Celeste appeared to be deep in thought, "Let's hope that's all it is."

Starbuck remained grinning, but his eyes were unsure, "Sis, you've been spending too much time with Apollo. You're starting to sound like him!"

Celeste mock sighed, "You're right. Maybe I'd better spend some time with you to counter it. How about we head down to the rec. room and see if there are any games going?"

"You mean right now?" Starbuck asked quickly, eyes widening, "Well, uh, I can't right now…"

"Oh?" Celeste crossed her arms.

"Yeah, see, I promised Cassiopeia I'd take her to the _Rising Star_ as soon as I had some free time. Now that the Cylons haven't been attacking as much," Starbuck shrugged, "I've been given a senton off."

Celeste narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Uh huh, I see. Those Cylons are just always so inconvenient for me."

"Promises are promises!" Starbuck shrugged again. He made one last check of his viper's weaponry and headed for the turbolift.

Celeste watched him, arms still crossed.

"Maybe some other time." Starbuck smiled his "charming smile", waved, and rode the lift up out of sight.

In the dimly lit launch bay, Celeste shook her head and checked her timepiece.

"Felgercarb! Still another four centares to go!" She frowned and tried to think of anyone she hadn't beat at Pyramid yet.

¤

A centare later, Celeste was still walking through the battlestar. She glanced left and right down the halls and corridors as she passed them. Sighing, she stopped. She'd made a full circuit of Theta level, and she still hadn't found anyone to do anything with.

Celeste leaned against the wall, jumping when a door next to her opened and two officers came out. Celeste watched them go, tapping her fingers boredly against the wall.

"Honk! Honk! Honk!" A red light above Celeste's head began flashing.

"Finally!" Celeste cried, dashing toward the launch bay turbolift.

She rounded a corner and nearly ran into the back of another rushing warrior.

"Whoops!" she slowed down.

The warrior turned around. It was Captain Apollo! "Where are you going, Lieutenant?" he asked authoritatively.

"Same place you are, I imagine." Celeste pushed stray blonde hair out of her face.

Apollo glanced sideways at her, "I thought you were on furlon, Celeste."

"Last day!" Celeste grinned back.

Apollo looked like he was about to say something, then changed his mind. The two stepped onto the turbolift and rode it down. Together, they dashed to their vipers.

The launch bay was a flurry of activity. The lights were bright now. Ground crews wearing bright orange scurried everywhere, fueling ships, doing last-minute checks, and wheeling metal staircases into place for the pilots.

Celeste took the helmet that one crewman held out to her. She saw Boomer preparing to launch a few vipers down.

The young woman pulled on her helmet and eased herself into the cockpit. The canopy shut and sealed over her head. Beside her, Celeste could see Starbuck's empty Viper.

"Where's Lt. Starbuck?" Celeste heard Boomer ask over the comm.

She replied, "Last I heard, he was headed to the _Rising Star_ with Cassiopeia. It's his senton off."

"What luck." Boomer said, "The first time we get an alert in sentons, and he gets to go on furlon!"

"Blue Squadron, report in!" Apollo's voice said.

"Lt. Boomer, ready for launch."

"Lt. Celeste, ready for launch."

The other pilots reported in before the final systems check was finished.

Celeste waited with grim excitement, her finger over the turbo button as her Viper sat in the launch tube. It was her first alert as an official member of Blue Squadron.

She briefly wondered where Zac was.

"Core systems transferring control to Viper fighters, launch when ready."

¤

"I don't see any Cylons." Celeste frowned, glancing at her scanner. She thumped it.

"Neither do I." Boomer's voice said.

Celeste noticed one enemy blip on the edge of her scanner screen, "Wait, here they come!"

"Fighting formation!" Apollo ordered. The Blue Squadron vipers moved into a wedge-shaped formation in anticipation of the approaching enemy force.

When the "force" arrived, however, it surprised the pilots.

Celeste stared at the single Cylon fighter, "That's it?"

"Where are the other fighters?" one pilot asked.

The lone Cylon fighter fired on the vipers. They easily demolished it, and waited for the rest of the enemy squadron to appear.

No more Cylons came.

"They sent an entire squadron out to intercept _one _Cylon fighter?" Celeste asked incredulously, "That doesn't make sense! And why did the Cylons only _send _one fighter to attack us?"

"I don't know." Apollo's voice replied, "I don't trust it."

"_Galactica_ control to Blue Squadron. False alert, return to the _Galactica_," the voice of the Core Control person ordered.

"Captain," Celeste suddenly said, "Where there's a Cylon fighter, there's got to be a basestar or a refueling station."

"I agree." Apollo answered her. Then he addressed Core Control, "Blue Leader requesting permission to investigate source of Cylon attack."

There was a pause as, undoubtedly, the bridge officers debated whether this was wise. The voice came back on the comm., "Permission to take one other pilot and investigate the source of the attack is granted, Captain Apollo. Good luck."

Apollo's voice said, "Lt. Celeste, you're with me. Everyone else report back to the _Galactica _and await further orders."

As the other vipers left, Celeste followed Apollo in the direction that the Cylon fighter had come from.

¤

Several centares later, Celeste sighed, "I don't see anything, Apollo. We've been out here for a long time. Think we should call it a senton?"

Apollo replied from his viper, "I think you're right. We've scanned the entire secton with long-range scanners, and all we've found were those strange asteroids and that comet."

"Okay, then. After you, Captain." Celeste turned her viper around. She gently moved her flight stick forward to bring her ship up behind Apollo's. Instead of accelerating, however, the viper slowed down! Frowning, Celeste moved the control stick a little farther.

No response.

She moved the stick slowly in all directions. It felt loose, and the viper didn't change course at all.

"Apollo? Uh…" Celeste moved the stick harder to no avail, "I think something's wrong with my controls!"

Now quite a distance ahead of her, Apollo's ship slowed.

"What's happening?" the captain's concerned voice asked.

Celeste jiggled the stick, "Nothing's happening! The viper's not responding at all to the control stick! I've got no steering whatsoever!"

"We're still too far from the _Galactica _to call for help." Apollo said, "When we get closer we can get a couple of pilots out here to tow you in."

"Good idea." Celeste sighed, "I wonder why it just stopped working like that? It passed pre-flight."

"I'm sure the maintenance crews can figure it out when we get back." Apollo reassured her, "It's probably just a shorted-out circuit or something."

Celeste smiled nervously, "Just makes me wonder what else is wrong with this thing."

"Hopefully, nothing." Apollo said.

Celeste's attention was momentarily diverted from her control stick to her scanner screen. "Unfortunately, something!" Celeste exclaimed, "My scanner's fritzing out!"

"Hang in there, Lieutenant!" Apollo told her, "We're almost there!"

Celeste winced at her flickering screen and sat back in her cockpit. No need to hold the stick or watch the scanner when neither one worked.

A red light suddenly turned on. With alarm, Celeste realized that it was an engine heat indicator!

"Apollo, my high engine's overheating!" Celeste shouted, furiously punching the fuel cutoff switch.

"Turn off your engines!" Apollo ordered.

"I'm trying! Fuel cutoff's fried, too!" Celeste cried, "Apollo, get out of here! I've still got a nearly full tank of fuel! If it goes…"

Apollo's voice sounded determined and worried. Celeste could imagine the concerned look in his eyes.

"I'm _not_ going to leave you!" Apollo declared.

Celeste sighed frustratedly, "Go get help! I'll shut down the other two engines, and I may be able to make it back to the _Galactica, _but I'll need to be towed in!"

Apollo heard the urgency and conviction in her voice, "Celeste…"

"It's the only way!" she said.

Reluctantly, Apollo eased his viper forward, "You're right, but I hate for you to be alone out here…"

"Captain, we just concluded that there isn't anything out here we should be worried about." Celeste pointed out.

There was a moment of silence before Apollo's turbo engines kicked on.

"Good luck, Lieutenant," he choked out as his viper gathered speed.

"You too," Celeste answered him; "I'll be seeing you." She watched Apollo's viper streak away into the stars, then she reached up and pressed some buttons.

Her left and right engines shut off, helping to slow the overheating. The woman pilot tensely watched as the temperature gauge for the high engine slowly climbed. At least she'd bought herself some time. And Apollo was safe.

Only a few centons later, she found out that Apollo wasn't safe. She saw his viper off course, being pursued by three Cylon fighters!

_A basestar _must _be nearby! _Celeste thought with alarm. "Apollo!" Celeste watched helplessly as her viper drifted past the daggitfight on a single, overheating engine.

She noticed that the Cylon raiders were dark grey in color and had yellow stripes painted on their wings.

Stealth raiders. That was why they didn't show up on the sensor sweep.

In a futile attempt to assist her captain, Celeste gripped the control stick and wiggled it, hoping it might have forgotten that it didn't work.

"Warn the fleet, Celeste!" Apollo ordered her, "Get a squadron out here!" His viper thrusted backward, blasted one Cylon fighter, and dodged a Cylon laser bolt.

Without a choice, Celeste continued towards the _Galactica_'s last known position. She was glad that the Cylons seemed not to notice her crippled viper slipping silently past.

_Space seems so much bigger when I'm out here alone. _Celeste thought later while her viper flew blindly through the blackness dotted with stars. She was glad that her nose had been pointed toward the fleet when her controls stopped working. Partly with the hope of fixing the controls and partly to pass the time, Celeste opened a panel and started to work on the wiring.

Finally, the big battlestar came into view. Beyond it lay over 200 smaller ships. All of them looked like tiny, far away points of light to Celeste.

But they were within comm. range.

"Blue Patrol 2 to the _Galactica, _come in!" Celeste said.

Strangely, her comm. remained silent.

She tapped her helmet, hearing static. She was transmitting, why weren't they responding?

"_Galactica, _this is Celeste, do you copy?" Celeste eyed the temperature gauge. It was approaching the critical line.

"Galactica, come in please! This is Celeste, and I'm in trouble! I'm trapped in a flying time bomb that's headed for the fleet! I need help! Do you read me?"

Her helmet remained silent.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me? Please come in! My viper's lost steering and Apollo's under attack from the Cylons, and…" Celeste glanced up from the repair job. To her horror, she recognized what trajectory the viper was on.

"And I'm headed straight for the bridge!" she said, once again grabbing her useless control stick.

The stick fell into her hand.

Celeste stared at it.

"Okay, _now _I'm worried." She took a deep breath.

The _Galactica _loomed ahead of her.

"Core control, this is Celeste! Condition red!" She watched the temperature gauge climb above critical. She saw the battlestar getting closer and closer. She was close enough now that she could see figures moving around inside the battlestar through the viewglass ports.

"If they don't know I'm coming, they're about to find out!" Celeste mumbled grimly. Desperately, she punched the fuel cutoff switch again and again. It wouldn't stop the viper from crashing, but it might make the explosion smaller.

"Why don't they have fuel dump on these things?" grumbled Celeste. She began digging back through the Viper's wires and circuitry. She found two broken wire ends and connected them.

Suddenly, her scanner leapt back to life. A proximity alarm beeped loudly, informing Celeste of what she knew all too well; she was too close to the wrong part of the _Galactica_.

"Wrong wires!" Celeste winced and looked up from her emergency hotwiring job.

For the second time in her life, the battlestar came up to meet her. An explosion from the high engine rocked the viper. Celeste shut her eyes.

¤

_Clang! Clang Clang! _

Celeste opened her eyes. She found it strange that she was still alive. Stranger still was the way that the battlestar ahead of her was moving away from the viper so quickly.

Too quickly.

A glance at her scanner was all she needed to comprehend what had just happened. And Celeste was relieved to find out that three other vipers had latched onto her with tow rods!

She sighed, "That was close." Then she noticed that the temperature gauge was at zero.

For some reason, her high engine had shut off.

A few centons later, the faulty viper was in the landing bay and being doused in fire retardant by the ground crews.

The three pilots jumped out of their vipers and rushed as close to Celeste's viper as the ground crews would let them get.

The canopy opened.

Celeste climbed shakily out and slid down.

"Lt. Celeste! Are you okay?" One pilot asked. He was a lieutenant from Blue Squadron. Celeste couldn't at the moment recall his name.

"What happened out there?" Boomer inquired.

"Was it the Cylons?" Captain Ajax asked, "By the way, sorry we had to fire on you. We saw that your engine was overheated and we had to shut it down."

Celeste was momentarily surprised to see that the captain of the Red Squadron was one of her rescuers. Shaking her head, she replied, "That's okay. We've got bigger problems to worry about right now. Apollo's under attack from the Cylons! They were flying stealth raiders and slipped past our sensors. For all I know we may have a full-scale attack force on our hands!" She walked quickly away from the viper toward the launching bay, holding something in her hand.

The three other pilots followed her.

Celeste shook her head. She tossed the object she was holding to Boomer.

He caught it. It was her control stick.

"What do you think?" Celeste asked them.

Boomer carefully examined the stick. He noticed something strange about the wires that were supposed to attach the stick to the viper's main control system. He looked seriously up at Celeste, "They were burned nearly through…it looks like with a small torch!"

"Who would do that?" the Blue Squadron lieutenant gasped.

Ajax stared at the stick, "Someone sabotaged you!"

"I'll let the ground crews come to that conclusion when they investigate the rest of that ship." Celeste said wryly, heading for a viper in the launch bay, "Whoever it was messed with my comm. and my scanner as well." She began climbing into the viper's cockpit.

Boomer stopped her, "Now hold on, do you think you should be going back out there? After what just happened…"

"We'll go help Captain Apollo," Ajax added, "Maybe you'd better stay here."

"I'm coming with you. I left Apollo in trouble." Celeste said, as though that was an answer.

Boomer frowned, "Lieutenant, I really think you _should_ stay here where…"

"Where it's safe?" Celeste scoffed, "Look, I don't find it too comforting that someone in this fleet wants me dead. And I have no idea who this someone is. Maybe someone on this battlestar! I'll take my chances with the Cylons; at least I know who _they_ are."

From inside the cockpit, Celeste called to the skeptical pilots below her, "You guys better clear the area, cause I'm launching."

The three guys backed away from her viper and began heading for other nearby vipers.

"We'll see you in the air, I guess." Boomer said into his helmet comm.

"Right!" Celeste said back, canopy closing over her head.

As Boomer reached his viper, he turned to Ajax, shaking his head, "Sometimes she's too much like Starbuck for her own good."

Ajax grinned, climbing into his own viper. He was fond of Starbuck, and therefore it was perfectly fine by him that Starbuck had an attractive sister who was every bit as charming and headstrong as he was. The only problem Ajax had with Celeste was that she wasn't in his squadron.

The four vipers prepared to launch.

¤

"This place is a madhouse!" Starbuck remarked to Cassiopeia as they surveyed the _Rising Star_'s dining hall from the doorway, "If I had known it'd be like this, I'd've taken you somewhere else!"

Cassiopeia hung on Starbuck's arm and smiled, "It's fine, Starbuck. We've both seen worse. Our jobs keep us so busy, I'm just glad we finally can have some time together! Just us."

Starbuck grinned back at the beautiful blonde med-tech who was smiling adoringly at him. "I sure love it when you say that, Cassie!" Starbuck sighed, "I guess I could ignore a few protesters." He gestured to the rest of the occupants of the dining hall. Most of them wore widely out-of-place clothing and hairstyles and held signs demanding peace. They sat around tables and held rather loud conversations with each other.

As Starbuck and Cassiopeia entered the hall, a tense hush fell over the entire crowd. All eyes were on Starbuck's warrior uniform. Starbuck suddenly felt uneasy. This was a feeling he didn't get often, especially on the _Rising Star_. Starbuck grinned nervously, _I just wish they'd ignore me. _

Trying not to act as though he was bothered by the rude attention, Starbuck led Cassiopeia to a table. He picked up a menu. "Okay, so what looks good to you?" he asked.

Cassiopeia glanced nervously around the room. She leaned toward Starbuck, "Starbuck, they're all staring at us!" she whispered.

"Eh, ignore them." Starbuck answered, "What about the Tarusian Moon Pasta? That sounds exotic. You feeling adventurous?"

"I'm feeling nervous." Cassiopeia replied. She turned her big blue eyes on Starbuck, "Maybe we _should_ go somewhere else."

Starbuck purposefully kept his eyes busy reading the menu, avoiding Cassie's blue gaze, "We have as much right to be here as they do. Relax; they probably just think we dress weird."

"I don't know…"Cassiopeia noticed one strangely attired man glaring intensely at Starbuck. She gasped. The glaring man stood up and headed straight towards them!

"Starbuck…" Cassiopeia said shakily.

Starbuck finally looked up. The glaring man reached their table. Starbuck looked up even more at the tall man wearing an eye-soring shirt that was every shade of rust red you could imagine.

The man folded his long, burly arms, "Don't you have somewhere else to be? Out killing somebody and stuff?" the man asked in a demanding sort of way.

"I don't kill some_bodies, _just some_things._" Starbuck answered, ruffled by the man's accusatory tone.

The man smirked, "Is that a correct military response, _sir?_"

Starbuck glared back at the glaring man, but said nothing. It wasn't easy, but he said nothing.

"Look, _sir,_" the man continued, "We don't want your type here crashing our peace parties. I suggest you leave before you start…oh, I don't know…a _war _or something."

Starbuck resisted the strong urge to throttle the guy so he'd leave them alone. This guy would probably throttle back pretty hard. Starbuck might be hot tempered, but stupid and suicidal he was not.

By this time, several other protesters were standing up. The few non-protesters there were in the room had retreated to a corner and were standing there looking concerned.

Starbuck gritted his teeth, "As far as I can tell, you're the only one trying to start something here."

The man narrowed his glaring eyes, "And you're just a good, upstanding warrior doing his job." The man spat out each word as though it tasted the way his shirt looked.

"Actually," Starbuck muttered, barely able to keep control of his temper, "I happen to be off-duty right now."

The rusty man's voice rose, "Good! Then…"

"What's going on in here?" a _Rising Star _security officer walked in. He noticed the big angry protester's threatening posture at Starbuck's table and pushed through the crowd to him, "Mister, do you have a problem?" the security guard asked.

"Not anymore!" the protester howled and pulled out a gun. A big gun. He grabbed Cassiopeia, "I was just telling this lovely lady that it was time we had a drink together."

Starbuck stood, blaster drawn, "Says who?"

"I do!" The rusty man started pulling a trembling Cassiopeia off. Her eyes cried for help.

The security guard stepped forward, "I think you've had enough to drink for tonight. Please lower your weapon, and let the lady go."

"What about him?" the man sneered, gesturing to Starbuck with his gun, "I don't see you telling _him_ to lower _his_ weapon!"

The security guard spoke more forcefully, "Let the woman go."

"Or what?" the man put his gun to Cassie's head, "Leave now, and take your military buddy with you!"

The security guard backed down, but pushed a panic button to call for backup.

"I saw that!" the glaring protester yelled. His firing hand flashed, and the security guard fell backwards into the table. No longer concerned with keeping a good image, Starbuck took that unfortunate moment to leap forward and put his blaster to the man's head, "Let her go!"

The man gestured with one hand. All of the protesters stood, pulling out equally large guns.

And all of them were pointed at Starbuck.

For a moment, all of them stared at each other. No one moved. No one spoke. (Except the poor security guard, who groaned)

Starbuck mentally measured the distance to the door, and the amount of time it would take for one of the protesters to fire. The former was a whole lot longer than the latter. _Forget thinking logically. _Starbuck frowned, _it's too depressing! I have to do something…_

So he did. He grabbed Cassiopeia and together they ran toward the doorway. Surprisingly, the other protesters didn't shoot. Unsurprisingly, the rusty man did.

¤

By the time the backup security team had arrived, all Hades had broken loose. Protesters were everywhere with their guns, chasing non-protesters. A media team was trying to get the whole scene on their videocomm receivers. Cassiopeia was behind a fallen table tending to Starbuck's leg and the security guard.

The security team surveyed the chaotic situation. They all fired their guns into the air at the same time. Everyone froze.

"Halt! You are surrounded!" one security guard ordered, "Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!"

Instead, the protesters rushed the guards, leaving the non-protesters alone momentarily.

"Cassie, we've got to get off this ship!" Starbuck groaned.

Cassiopeia nodded, biting her lip. She called to some non-protesters nearby, "Help me get these two to a shuttle!"

They helped the injured security guard and Starbuck to the _Rising Star_'s shuttlebay. Nearly all the available shuttles were already occupied by frightened colonists. Only one still had room in it.

"Figures," muttered Starbuck.

Cassiopeia and her helpers rushed toward it, along with a lot of other colonists.

"Get in! Get in!" a man in the shuttle called from the hatch, "We're ready to launch!"

Colonists crammed in. All of them barely managed to get on board before the shuttle lifted off.

¤

Later, Apollo and Celeste sat in the officer's lounge, resting after the bizarre alert.

"There was no nearby basestar, or any Cylon ship of any kind. It's a mystery how they got all the way out there. Maybe they were left behind from the last assault." Apollo was telling Celeste.

Celeste frowned, "Unless…unless they didn't come from a basestar…no. There's no way. We would have noticed…besides, they were stealth ships…" The lieutenant seemed to lose her trail of thought. She shook her head, "Anyway, I'm glad it turned out all right, weird though it was."

Apollo nodded, "So what happened with your viper?" he asked Celeste.

Celeste answered, "Uh, I just had a little engine trouble is all."

Boomer walked past, "Don't let her mislead you, Captain. Someone sabotaged her viper. She nearly crashed into the _Galactica_'s bridge."

Apollo looked Celeste in the eye, "Someone sabotaged your fighter?"

"Yeah," Celeste waved a hand, "They messed with a few systems."

"Flight control, comm., engine, scanner, navigation, and fuel to name a few," Boomer added.

Celeste frowned at Boomer, "Hey…" but she didn't finish her sentence. She was staring at something across the room. She had suddenly gone silent, and her blue eyes were full of the shocked horror of sudden recognition.

Apollo followed her gaze, "What's wrong, Lt…" He saw what she was looking at. The comm. monitor across the room was broadcasting the latest breaking news story. A shaky camera view of a dining hall showed terrified people running from men with large guns.

"The _Rising Star…_" Boomer whispered.

Celeste gasped when the camera changed to several people helping several other people into shuttles.

"The people who were wounded in this violent outbreak were taken to the _Galactica _along with others seeking refuge from the _Rising Star_ today." The newscaster said stoically.

Without a word, Celeste suddenly stood up, knocking over her chair. She rushed out of the room. Apollo and Boomer glanced at each other and followed her.

Celeste ran blindly down the hall, forgetting to watch for other people who were also trying to get somewhere.

"Sorry!" she yelled back to them.

The determined Celeste burst into the life center, startling a lot of med-techs and a couple of doctors.

Spotting Cassiopeia, Celeste made a beeline for her. "Cassie! I saw the news…what happened? Where's Starbuck?" the girl gasped out.

Cassiopeia blinked, "He's over here." She pointed to where he sat on the edge of a bed. There were cubits on the bed, too. And cards. And several other patients sat around the bed.

For once in her life, Celeste didn't notice the pyramid game.

"Starbuck!" Celeste rushed over. She tripped on a cord and flew into the center of the mattress. Cubits and cards went flying.

Starbuck looked down at his undignified sister, "Nice entrance."

Celeste stood up and brushed herself off, "Ahem." She looked at Starbuck and remembered why she was in the life center in the first place, "Starbuck! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you didn't land on me. The game's a mess, though." Starbuck tried to gather his cubits while the other patients scrambled for theirs.

Celeste rolled her eyes and began helping him collect the cubits, "I wasn't meaning…oh, never mind." _I guess he's okay if he's playing card games and making jokes. _"What happened on the _Rising Star_?"

Starbuck groaned, "Bunch of guys who apparently call themselves the 'Peacemakers'. They didn't like how Cassie and I were dressed."

"So they started a riot?" Celeste shook her head in disgust.

"Yep," Starbuck winced, "They shot me in the leg when Cassie and I tried to escape. But I'm better off than that guy over there." He motioned to a security guard lying on a bed, "He took a hit right in the chest."

"It's amazing more people weren't hurt." Cassie remarked, bandaging the security guard, "It was awful on that ship! Like a war zone!"

Apollo and Boomer burst in, "Celeste? What is going…" They saw Celeste and Starbuck with cubits and cards.

Boomer looked surprised, "This is no time for a game, Lieutenants!"

"Huh?" Celeste seemed confused. "Oh…" She handed Starbuck the cubits.

Celeste turned to Apollo and Boomer, "Actually, I just came in to check on Starbuck."

"And how is he?" Apollo asked.

"He's fine!" Starbuck said from behind Celeste.

"Yeah." Celeste nodded, "He's fine. See?"

Apollo and Boomer exchanged glances again.

"Whatever you say, Lieutenant." Apollo said.

A voice interrupted the conversation, "Apollo! What are you doing here?"

Apollo turned, "Zac? I could ask the same thing about you!"

Zac grinned, surprised, "I volunteered to help with the de-Cylonization research. We're trying to find a way to erase all the Cylon junk from our brains. Not all of us got _good_ abilities like Celeste did." Zac glanced over, "Oh, hi Celeste, hey Starbuck," he said, noticing Celeste and Starbuck listening with interest.

"They can erase all the residual Cylon patterns from our brainwaves?" Celeste asked hopefully.

Zac smiled, "They think they can. They've been trying it on a few of us, and it seems to be working! I've got my voice all the way back, now!"

Apollo patted his little brother on his shoulder, "That's great, Zac!"

Zac nodded, "Soon they said they'll be making the treatment available for anyone who wants it!"

Celeste watched her friends, but her mind was elsewhere. _They can make me human again. Fully human. No strange abilities, no more people acting weird about me. I could live a real life again. _

_But should I? How would I feel if I lost these abilities? Would I still be able to fly vipers? Not as well, that's for sure. Would I still be able to fly with the Blues? I don't think Apollo would kick me out, but I might not be able to fly well enough. I might put people in danger. And I wouldn't be able to do all the crazy things I do. At least, I'd have a harder time _surviving _all the crazy things I do…_

_But I'd be free of that nagging feeling that I'm not myself. That I'm somehow cheating death instead of living life. But, felgercarb! I've had these abilities for so many yahrens…could I go back to living a real life? _

¤

Celeste ran like there was an entire Cylon garrison after her, which wasn't far from the truth.

Cylons came out of doors and corridors, firing their blasters at the running woman. Still running, Celeste fired a few shots back at them.

Five centons to go.

There was the hangar bay ahead. Celeste skidded to a halt in front of it, blasted the controls, and ran inside.

"Finally, a bay with ships inside it!" Celeste remarked, rushing towards the docking control computer. She rapidly began typing, trying to release the locking mechanism on the fighters.

Two centons to go.

Finally, the lock indicator went green. Celeste dashed to a fighter just as the Cylons arrived at the bay.

Celeste ducked behind the smooth, flat fighter when the Cylons began firing at her.

"Felgercarb!"

Thirty microns to go.

Sliding to the door control, Celeste punched it with her fist. The door opened and the woman leaped inside, slamming it shut behind her. Blaster bolts ricocheted off the hatch.

Fifteen microns.

Celeste powered up the fighter and lifted off. She fired the ship's weapons at the hangar door. It opened.

The silvery ship thrusted toward the hangar door.

The hangar exploded.

Celeste awoke with a start. She blinked her eyes in the darkness for a few moments, sorting out where she was. Moments later, the lights flickered on. All around her were the sounds of yawns and people sliding off the bunks as the female shuttle pilots prepared to greet the senton.

Celeste rubbed her eyes and sat up. She shook her head and reached under her pillow for her blaster and cubit bag. She knew she was paranoid for keeping them there, but she'd gotten into the habit on Vaga.

They were gone.

Alarmed, she lifted her pillow, and then began disassembling her bedding. No blaster; no cubits.

"Hey, have you guys seen…" Celeste began.

One of the pilots looked at her and gasped.

"What?" Celeste asked, annoyed, "Come on, my morning hair isn't nearly as bad as my helmet hair, and you've seen both before."

"Your…your eyes…!" The pilot gasped, backing out of the room clutching her uniform. The other pilots looked at Celeste and began acting like the first one.

"What about my eyes?" Celeste asked grumpily. This was not a good start to the senton.

"They're…_red_!" the pilot choked, turning away quickly.

"Oh," Celeste sighed, "Is that all? I had a late night trying to explain to Colonel Tigh that I did _not_ intend to make a suicide run at the bridge yesterday and…" The other pilots were frozen in fear, staring at Celeste. "…and I guess that's not what you're talking about?"

"Look…in…the mirror!" one pilot gasped.

Celeste stood up, shaking her head, "Ok, but I don't see how this…" She looked in the mirror. She froze.

A red light seemed to be oscillating through her eyes.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Celeste screamed, sitting straight upright in bed.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" screamed the other shuttle pilots, "Celeste! Why do you always have to have nightmares the night before WE are assigned the LONG shift?"

"Nightmares." Celeste said, "About nightmares."

"Go to sleep, Celeste!" one pilot groaned, "And try not to wake up screaming? At least not until we're all in the shuttlebay!"

"Sorry, guys. I'll try not to." Celeste sighed. She half expected herself to wake up again. When that didn't happen, she decided that the only alternative was to fall asleep.

So she did, but she concentrated intensely on Apollo, Starbuck, Boxey, and Vipers first. Nightmares weren't welcome.

¤

"Morning, fellas." Celeste yawned, walking into the exercise room. Several other Blue Squadron pilots were already there working out. They waved to her without pausing in their workouts. Celeste shook her head, trying to clear her groggy mind. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the wall across the room, she sighed and shuddered. Nightmares were powerful things.

Celeste stepped onto a treadmill and began exercising. She started out slow. As she began jogging faster and faster, she felt the cloud in her mind drift away. She imagined herself running through the Galactica's corridors to her viper. In her mind, other pilots ran beside and behind her. She heard alarm bells ringing in her head. She slowed down as she neared the turbolift. Stepping inside the lift, she waited as it began moving downward.

The next thing Celeste knew, she was lying on the floor staring up at the exercise room's ceiling. Somewhere near her feet, the treadmill automatically shut off.

Blinking, Celeste stood up.

"Are you all right, Lieutenant?" one of the pilots asked her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Celeste waved him off, more embarrassed than hurt. She rubbed her head and snatched her towel from the treadmill's handlebars. She headed for the door and nearly collided with Zac and Boomer, coming _in _the door.

"Celeste, hey. Done already?" Zac asked, grinning.

Celeste smiled and replied dryly, "Oh, I did more than I intended to." She looked around the two men, "Have you guys seen Apollo?"

"No," Boomer said, "I haven't."

"Huh." Celeste looked thoughtful.

"He could be in a meeting." Zac suggested.

Celeste nodded, "Yeah, that's probably it. With that mess on the _Rising Star _I imagine there'll be plenty of meetings between all the ranking officers." She grinned, "Well, I'm headed to the turbowash. I'll see you guys later."

Celeste left the exercise room.

¤

"No one's seen him!" Celeste cried later that day. She was standing in a corner of the bridge with Colonel Tigh. Colonel Tigh looked concerned.

"Are you certain?" Colonel Tigh asked, "You've asked everyone?"

Celeste tried not to act as distraught as she felt, "No one's seen him since the unit went to bed!"

Colonel Tigh sighed, "All right. We'll contact the fleet and see if he went to one of the other ships."

Something sparked in Celeste's eyes, something that gave Colonel Tigh an uneasy feeling. But it was gone before he could say anything.

"All right, Colonel." Celeste turned to go.

"Lieutenant?"

Celeste stopped and looked at him.

"We'll inform you the moment we know anything." Colonel Tigh didn't smile, but his eyes showed sympathy.

Celeste nodded and left.

¤

When she reached the officer's lounge, she was quite surprised to see Starbuck there, deeply involved in a card game.

"Starbuck? What are you doing out?" Celeste strode over to the table. The other card players stood nervously, wondering if she was in the mood to join them. They picked up their cubits and left.

Starbuck looked up at his little sister and grinned, "Wonder of modern medical technology." He had a substantial pile of cubits in front of him, "But even better than that, guess what? I've finally got it! I've invented a system for Pyramid that is totally foolproof! Not even you could beat me with this strategy!" he looked pleased with himself.

Celeste didn't seem interested in the cards, cubits, or the conversation. Alarms went off in Starbuck's head. He knew that look in her eye. He'd seen it in the mirror enough times.

"What's going on?" Starbuck asked.

Celeste looked seriously at her brother, "Apollo's gone."

"What?" Starbuck's eyes opened wide, "What do you mean, gone?"

"I _mean_ that nobody knows where he is." Celeste said.

Starbuck stood up, wincing slightly, "Nobody?"

"Not even the commander!" Celeste shook her head, "As far as anyone can tell, Apollo disappeared."

Starbuck shook his head as well, "If it were you or meit would at least make some kind of sense…but Apollo? He doesn't just go off and leave without telling anyone!"

"I know!" Celeste exclaimed, "Which means that something must have happened. Something big, or bad, or both."

"And if it was both, I guarantee you the media team knows about it." Starbuck snapped his fingers.

"Good thinking!" Celeste stepped to the video monitor and switched it on.

On the screen, a reporter appeared, holding a microphone.

"Yesterday's incident has everyone wondering about the amount of control the military really has over the security of the fleet. It was the appearance of a Colonial Warrior which reportedly started the entire explosive situation on the _Rising Star_ that resulted in several severe injuries sustained by the ship's security guards.Some think the time has come for the warriors to be solely the defenders of the fleet and to withdraw their presence from the individual ships…"

"No breaking news there." Celeste remarked sarcastically, turning the monitor off. She shook her head in disgust.

A bridge officer burst into the lounge. He looked around, spotted Celeste, and said, "Colonel Tigh sent for you, Lieutenant. He said it was important."

Without hesitation, Celeste rushed to the door. Starbuck followed her, limping slightly.

As she neared the bridge, Celeste felt her gut wrenching. She felt more than saw the tension filling the bridge. She'd had a bad feeling ever since she'd found out that Apollo was missing. That feeling had just gotten worse.

"Colonel Tigh, what's going on?" Celeste and Starbuck approached him.

The Colonel turned. He opened his mouth to explain, and then stopped. He handed Celeste a ship report.

Celeste read it. She looked disturbed, "Those protesters took over _another _ship?" she asked.

Starbuck read it over her shoulder, "And they took the Neptuna's entirecrew hostage!"

"That's not all." Colonel Tigh said tiredly, "I'm afraid that the First Learning class from the _Galactica _was on a field trip to the _Neptuna _when it happened. They were scheduled to report in nearly fifteen centares ago."

"And they never did." Celeste guessed darkly. She shook her head, "Those poor kids…wait a minute!" Her eyes were full of horror.

"_Boxey's _in First Learning!" she cried, "And Athena teaches that class! If Apollo found out…"

She and Starbuck exchanged looks. They seemed to read each other's mind. They both turned and began rushing off the bridge at the same time.

"Lieutenants!" Colonel Tigh ordered, "Halt!"

The two stopped and turned slowly around.

"You wouldn't happen to be planning a trip to the _Neptuna_, now would you?"

Celeste and Starbuck blinked angelically.

"Of course not!" Starbuck exclaimed.

"Where would you get a crazy idea like that?" Celeste asked.

Colonel Tigh sighed inwardly. It was bad enough when he'd had _one _Starbuck to worry about.

"If either of you even _think _of going after the _Neptuna_ without authorization, I'll have you _both _grounded and de-rusting Vipers for the rest of the sectar, do you understand?" Tigh crossed his arms.

The two lieutenants nodded disappointedly. Then Starbuck brightened. He stepped forward and opened his mouth.

Tigh was already ahead of him, "And no, I won't give either of you authorization to do that. We've got enough people in trouble to worry about without having you two in the middle of this mess."

Starbuck and Celeste once again looked disappointed. Celeste, holding back frustration, stepped forward. "But Colonel, we can't just leave them out there with those…" she trailed off.

"Terrorists." Starbuck finished for her.

Tigh nodded, "We've got people working on it as we speak."

"But…" Celeste began.

Tigh held up his hand. "We've got people working on it," he repeated.

¤

Celeste and Starbuck left the bridge in disappointment. Starbuck turned to his sister.

"There's got to be _something _we can do!" he cried.

Celeste sighed, "I'm afraid that our reputations are limiting our choices." Her eyes narrowed, "But maybe there's still hope…" She almost smiled as a plan began forming in her mind. "Stay here." She told Starbuck, "If this is going to work, I'll need to do it alone." Celeste walked down the hall.

"If _what _is going to work?" Starbuck asked, walking after her.

Celeste didn't stop, "My plan. You'll see."

Starbuck wasn't satisfied with that answer, "What plan?"

Annoyed at Starbuck's persistence, Celeste stopped and turned to him.

There was a gleam of determination in her eyes that encouraged and worried Starbuck at the same time. _I wonder if this is how Apollo feels when he knows _I've _got some crazy plan cooking, _he thought.

Celeste flashed him a tight smile, raising an eyebrow, "Someone's got to tell the commander about what's happening."

"Ahh." Starbuck said, nodding, "I get it. Go right to the commanding officer. But what if he says the same thing Colonel Tigh said?"

"He won't." Celeste said confidently, "And if he does…" she trailed off, her eyes betraying her thoughts.

Starbuck understood. He knew what she was thinking. He felt the same way. But he didn't want Celeste to get in trouble again. "If he does, I'll go." Starbuck held up his hands to deflect his sister's protests, "Now, wait, you got to go last time. They're my friends too, you know."

By the stubborn set of her mouth, Starbuck could tell she didn't agree with his reasoning. What really concerned him was that she didn't reply to it. Celeste turned to the commander's door without another word to Starbuck.

Starbuck shook his head. He and Celeste were very similar, but there were times when there was something different and downright scary about her.

Celeste entered the room to find Commander Adama sifting through ship reports on his desk. He looked up from his work. His eyes softened a little when he saw Celeste.

"What brings you up here, Lieutenant?" he asked, kindly but tiredly.

Celeste stepped towards his desk, "Sir, I request permission to rescue the people aboard the _Neptuna._"

Adama's eyes widened, "So you know."

"Yes." Celeste's gaze was steady and determined.

Commander Adama sighed and glanced at his paperwork. He had suspected that this would happen as soon as Celeste found out, but he wasn't expecting her to find out so soon. _With Lt. Celeste, expect the unexpected, _he reminded himself. On the other hand, most lieutenants wouldn't be so direct as to ask him outright to let them do something like this. A few sectons ago, _Celeste_ wouldn't even have asked him. She'd just have done it, orders or no orders. Adama's eyes traveled across the pictures on his desk. Athena, and Boxey were on the _Neptuna_;his daughter and grandson …and Celeste's friends. And Apollo, his firstborn son, and the person Celeste was closest to, was missing. What use was there to give Celeste another broken order on her record? _There are some things that are more important than regulations._ _It seems that I use that phrase a lot with regard to Lt. Celeste. _Commander Adama looked back up at the girl with the sparks in her eyes. What was she feeling? Determination? Resignation? Whatever her emotion, Adama knew Celeste well enough to know that she could be downright unstoppable when she believed in her plans.

"All right, Lieutenant. This time, I'll allow it. But only you. I can't risk any other pilots right now. We're vulnerable enough as it is." Adama consented.

"Thank you, Commander." Celeste turned to leave.

"Celeste." Adama said.

Celeste turned back around.

"Good luck."

Celeste grinned a cocky grin and nodded, "I won't let you down, Commander."

Then she was gone.

Adama looked back at the pictures. A picture of Zac caught his eye.

"I'm sure you won't," Adama said softly.

Was letting Celeste go the smart thing to do? Probably not. But Adama felt that it was the right thing to do. He wondered briefly if that might be the last time he saw the warrior girl. He hoped not, for Apollo's sake if not for his own.

Who knew? There was a very good chance that she might even succeed.

¤

"Shuttle Alpha prepared to launch." Celeste said into the headset microphone she was wearing. Her shuttle had checked out in preflight, and she'd done an inspection of the major systems. Everything had to be right.

"We read you, Shuttle Alpha. You are cleared to launch." Core Control replied.

Celeste eased the shuttle out of the bay and into space. "Thanks. Shuttle Alpha standing by. Wish me luck." The shuttle was sluggish compared to a viper, and Celeste felt impatience at its lack of speed. She would need the passenger capacity of the shuttle to bring the class and Apollo back. If she ever _reached _the _Neptuna._

_Could be worse. Last time I was flying a shuttle, it was falling apart and I was flying it to a Cylon basestar without any Viper escort! I wish I'd had time to test out the _Lemonade. _It's no Viper, but it's faster than this thing. _Celeste shook her head, _I wonder which situation was more dangerous…the Cylon basestar or a ship taken over by violent radicals? At least I know the Cylons. I know more about them than I ever wanted to. But these humans…I don't understand them at all. Why are they doing this? What can they hope to accomplish by hurting and scaring other people?_

The _Neptuna _loomed ahead, its chunky cargo holds seeming to bulge up from a rectangular body. Twin engines sleekly followed the nearly imperceptible contour on either side of the greenish ship. The name was painted on the side in Sagittarian. The ship had a strange design, and at first Celeste couldn't find a place to dock on it. She spotted a small docking bay toward the rear of the ship, tucked in under the engine. She neatly lined the shuttle up with the landing lines and eased it onto the platform. Celeste noticed two other shuttles from the Galactica in the bay.

As soon as the shuttle was down, Celeste removed the headset and left the shuttle, one hand on her blaster. She was pretty sure that the Peacemakers wouldn't be happy to see her. That was why she was dressed in civilian clothing rather than her Warrior uniform. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. It was unfamiliar to her; she wasn't used to seeing herself wearing anything but her Warrior uniform! The faded lavender and yellow tunic was baggy, so she'd tied it with a scarf. Under the scarf, her blaster holster and extra ammunition hid, out of sight but close by. She listened to the silky sound of the brown pants she was wearing and shook her head. It wasn't an ideal costume, but it was all she could convince the shuttle pilots to let her borrow.

She seemed to have entered the ship undetected, however. No one came to meet her as she exited the docking bay. The halls were empty. Apparently, all of the action was happening elsewhere on the ship.

The Peacemakers must not have known about her presence on the _Neptuna. _

Celeste followed the halls through the ship, passing one cargo hold after another. The _Neptuna _was the supply ship for the fleet. She ferried the foods from the agro ships to the other ships. The cargo holds still contained some shipments that had never been delivered. Celeste wondered about the hungry people somewhere in the fleet who never received their food. She shuddered. The Peacemakers had known exactly which ship would be the best one to target in order to hurt the fleet.

Something moved in one of the holds. Celeste peeked in the doorway and saw a foot disappear behind a crate of produce. She drew her blaster and froze against the wall outside the doorway.

For a few moments, there was only the sound of the ship's engines and Celeste's heart beating. Then, from the direction of the crate came the sound of breathing, as though whoever it was had been running and stopped to hide suddenly.

Neither person moved from their spots.

Celeste took a deep breath as quietly as she could. They couldn't stay like this forever, and she needed to move on with her plan. Apollo, Athena, and Boxey could all be in a lot of danger.

Celeste nosed her blaster around the wall into the hold. Cautiously, she peeked her head into the hold, ready to pull it back in again quickly if she had to. She saw the shadow of the person behind the crate. The crate was small, and the person behind it appeared to be small as well.

"Hello?" Celeste called.

No answer came from the crate.

"Who's there?" she called again, "Identify yourself."

The figure behind the crate stirred, "Miss Celeste?" it said.

"Boxey?" Celeste nearly dropped her blaster. She put it back in the holster, "Boxey, what are you doing hiding behind that crate?"

"I'm hiding from the bad guys. I escaped and now I'm going to save Miss Athena and the class!" Boxey announced, standing up. He looked a little sad, "But I don't know how."

Celeste grinned at the boy, "Hey, that's my job."

Boxey ran to Celeste and hugged her, "I was so scared!" he cried. Then he looked up at her, "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is!" Celeste exclaimed, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I want to be a brave Colonial Warrior like you and Daddy." Boxey said seriously.

Celeste smiled, "Then being scared is just fine. I can't speak for your dad, but I get scared all the time."

"Dad said that he gets scared too," Boxey said, "But he doesn't act like it. Except when you went to blow up the basestar. And when you crashed into the _Galactica. _And when you had to fly the _Galactica._ And when…"

"Ok, ok!" Celeste broke off Boxey's list of her misadventures, "Have you seen your dad, Boxey?"

"Not since I went to school. I miss him a lot." Boxey said.

"Hmm." Celeste said, "Ok. I want you to tell me all that you know about these bad guys and what they did with your class."

Boxey looked hopefully at Celeste, "Are you going to make a plan?"

Celeste nodded, "Yes, I am."

"And I can help, right?" Boxey asked excitedly.

Celeste looked far away as the wheels began turning in her mind, "Yes, I think you can."

¤

Celeste and Boxey snuck through the halls towards the forward cargo area where Boxey had told Celeste that the prisoners were being held. Celeste kept her right hand near her blaster, just in case they encountered any Peacemakers making trouble for them along the way.

They reached the hold at the front of the ship. The door was closed, but they could hear voices inside; children crying and adults in hushed discussion.

"This is it." Boxey whispered.

Celeste nodded once and eased around the corner to the door controls. She began fiddling with them, tapping the keypad rapidly. When all her attempts at electronically hacking the door failed, she pushed Boxey back behind her and blasted the controls. The young woman reached into the hole, grabbed some wires, and changed some connections. She worked fast, aware that the sound of blaster fire wouldn't go unnoticed.

The door slid open right before Celeste was about to make the last connection. She found herself face-to-face with a man who was holding wires from the door controls inside the room. The man didn't seem happy to see her.

"Apollo?" Celeste said.

Footsteps were approaching from behind Celeste. She simultaneously turned around, pushed Boxey into the room, and drew her blaster.

"Boxey!" she heard Apollo say from behind her. Celeste backed into the room and disconnected the wires that Apollo had connected. The door slid shut.

As soon as the door shut, Apollo turned to Celeste, "You have some explaining to do, Lieutenant."

Celeste opened her mouth exasperatedly, "So do you! What were you thinking, Apollo? Leaving without telling anyone! Everyone's worried about you!"

"What?" Apollo looked upset, "I told people I was going! I had to get clearance to take a shuttle out here!" Then his face fell as he realized something, "Oh no. I told the people who were on the shift right before ours. They were probably asleep by the time you and everyone else got up! Though I'd have thought they'd have passed the information on to our shift. " Apollo shook his head, "I'm sorry. Everything happened so fast. When I heard Boxey's class was taken prisoner…"

Celeste sighed, "I understand. But it's still not like you to go alone, Apollo."

"I'd have taken someone else if anyone else had been available." Apollo said. Then he frowned at her, "What about you?" His face seemed to imply that he suspected Celeste had left the battlestar in a less-than-honest way.

"For your information." Celeste sighed indignantly, "the Commander himself gave me permission to conduct a rescue mission!"

Apollo looked slightly surprised, "Really. Hmm." He looked at Boxey. "Well, all right. Why don't you get these people to the shuttles and get them back to the _Galactica_."

"And you?" Celeste asked, "You're part of my mission. I'm supposed to rescue you as well."

Apollo looked into her determined face, "Celeste, I want you to get yourself and these kids out of here. I've got a different mission to accomplish."

"And what mission is that?" Celeste demanded, crossing her arms.

"I've got to find out what's going on. These so-called Peacemakers are dangerous. They're already causing havoc with the fleet. If this continues, the Cylons won't have to destroy us. We'll destroy ourselves." Apollo took a breath, "There's got to be a way to stop them. I'm going to try and find it."

"Then I'll help you." Celeste said.

"And so will I!" Boxey added.

"No. I don't want you here. It's not safe." Apollo replied firmly to both of them, "If anything happened to you…" he trailed off, looking first at Boxey, then at Celeste. She was glaring at him with a dark fire in her eyes. Even when she was upset at him, though, he could tell she cared about him. Something in the way she moved gave her away. And even when she was upset with him, Apollo still felt a strong fondness for her. Maybe it was more than fondness…no. It couldn't be. There was still so much hurt inside from Serina. But Serina had been willful as well. She had also wanted to go on missions.

"Apollo…" Celeste growled, "You could use some backup."

"No." Apollo said. "I won't let you stay here. Someone's already tried to kill you once, and they almost succeeded. One of these guys attacked Starbuck and Cassiopeia. There's no telling what they might do to you!" He turned to Boxey, "And Boxey, I want you to go back to the _Galactica _where you can be safe. I can't lose you."

Celeste crossed her arms, "I'm not leaving without you, Apollo. You made me a promise that day that you guys gave me the _Lemon, _do you remember? You said 'whatever tomorrow brings for us to face, we face it together'."

Apollo sighed and looked down, "I did say that, didn't I."

_A promise is a promise. But letting her come with me…that's how I lost Serina. I'm not losing Celeste. _An image of Serina came into Apollo's mind.

"I'm going to have to break that promise." Apollo said finally. He hated the look on Celeste's face as he said it, but it was better to have her alive and angry with him than dead.

"I understand, _Captain_." Celeste said icily, "Come on, Boxey. We've got a job to do."

Boxey looked at his dad, his eyes looking big and sad, "You said I was a Colonial Warrior First Level. I just wanted to help you." Boxey turned and followed Celeste to the people in the hold.

Apollo watched them go. He closed his eyes and sighed. He was doing the right thing by sending them back before the situation became violent. _But if I'm doing the right thing, why does it feel so wrong?_

¤

Celeste held her blaster tightly as she peeked around a corner to make sure the area was safe to lead the class into. She paused to shake her head. She couldn't get the stern look on Apollo's face out of her mind. The hard set of his mouth, the coldness in his eyes; it was as though nothing they'd been through together counted for anything. _Maybe I'm just blowing this whole thing out of proportion as usual. Maybe he just wanted me to take them back because he knew they'd be safe with me. I should be flattered that he trusts me with his family._

_But no, I know that's not all. He really didn't want me here with him. He didn't want me in the way. _

_I can't think about this now. I have to concentrate on what I'm doing!_

When she was certain it was safe, Celeste motioned to Athena at the back of the line of kids. Athena began moving them forward and the class followed Celeste away from the cargo hold.

Celeste was surprised that they hadn't met any resistance. She had been on the _Neptuna _for centares and hadn't seen a single Peacemaker! It was downright suspicious, though Celeste couldn't figure out any possible reasons there could be for it. It just unnerved her to break into a hijacked ship and not find guns pointed at her.

The group reached the docking bay without incident. The children had been very quiet and obedient the entire time.

"Are they always like this?" Celeste asked Athena.

Athena shook her head, "Not usually. I think they are a little in awe of you, Celeste. They've all heard stories about you from their parents and Boxey."

Celeste almost smiled, "Well, I'm glad everything's worked out so far. I'll guard the door while you get them into one of those shuttles."

Athena nodded, "Thank you for helping us." She began to usher the children into the shuttle.

Celeste realized with horror that she would be a hero again. If she showed up back at the _Galactica _with a shuttle load of rescued kids, people were bound to thank her and make a huge deal out of it.

She took her post by the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one little girl wave at her. She waved back. The little girl smiled and climbed into the shuttle.

_I guess I could tolerate more people thanking me if it means these kids are safe. _Celeste thought, _they didn't _ask_ to get taken hostage. They're scared and they just want to go home to their parents. Who am I to deny them that? Felgercarb, I can be so selfish sometimes! _

Suddenly, Celeste heard the pounding of footsteps headed in their direction. Part of her was relieved. This made more sense. She was back on familiar ground.

The other part of her realized that there were still several kids to load into the shuttle, and takeoff procedures hadn't started!

Celeste saw quite a few men with huge guns hurrying toward her. She ducked inside the bay and punched the door controls with her fist. The door slammed shut. Immediately, she heard the sound of gunfire ricocheting off the bay door.

"It won't take them long to get that open." Celeste said grimly to herself.

"Athena!" she yelled, running toward the shuttle, "Get in and get it started up!" She began helping the children onto the shuttle as Athena nodded and jumped into the shuttle herself. The engines powered up.

The bay door slid partly open just as Celeste got the last kid into the shuttle. Peacemakers crawled under and pushed the door open as they fired at Celeste and the shuttle.

"Take off!" Celeste yelled into the shuttle. She turned and fired at the Peacemakers as they tromped across the bay. Celeste shut the shuttle hatch to keep any of the kids from getting hit by stray fire.

Then she realized that this left her between a legion of big guys with big guns and a closed and taking off shuttle. Not the most ideal of situations.

The shuttle lifted off the pad. Celeste dashed to another shuttle, dodging gunfire. She dove behind it, blasting her gun at the Peacemakers who were firing at the departing shuttle. She saw Athena's shuttle disappear out of the bay and prayed that they'd make it safely to the _Galactica. _

The Peacemakers turned from trying to stop the shuttle to firing at the one Celeste was hiding behind. Celeste put her gun in her holster under the sash. She slid around to the other side, away from the threatening people and opened the hatch just enough for her to get in. She slid in, shut it, grabbed another gun from the shuttle's emergency stash, and sat in the pilot's seat. She powered it up and started the launch sequence.

The Peacemakers stopped firing at her. They all pointed their guns at one spot on the shuttle and fired.

The engine exploded. Smoke filled the shuttle cockpit. Coughing, Celeste dropped below the smoke and crawled across the floor to the hatch.

"Well, Captain, I tried to leave…" Celeste half-muttered, half-choked.

The floor near the rear of the ship was burning, with flames beginning to lick at the walls and ceiling. Her hands and knees stung from being pressed into the smoldering carpet near the hatch.

The hatch opened and there stood a man with a rusty-colored shirt, pointing a gun at Celeste's head. Behind him, at least twenty other men stood with their guns ready. She dropped the gun she was holding and raised her hands.

¤

Apollo snuck across the corridor to the bridge of the _Neptuna. _He flattened himself against the wall. He could hear two voices inside, discussing something. One of the voices sounded vaguely familiar. To his surprise, he thought he heard Celeste's name mentioned.

This prompted him to listen harder.

"It won't be easy."

"Once we have her, The Man will be able to complete his final plan."

"I don't see why he wanted her so badly. She's just a lieutenant."

"Apparently he has some _personal _matter to discuss with her. It's too bad we failed with the _Rising Star _fiasco. We'd have been able to get to her faster through her brother."

Apollo's eyes narrowed.

"I really don't like holding all these kids. It's getting us too much attention."

"It was the only other way to lure her here, after the men bungled both the viper and the _Rising Star_."

Apollo held back a gasp. _They wanted Celeste. This whole thing was a trap. The viper sabotage, the false alert…the incident on the _Rising Star_; they were all plots to capture Celeste! I'm glad now that I sent her back to the _Galactica. _But what will they try next? _

"I know…" the first voice began.

"I suppose we could have used you, Chameleon. I'm sure you could have found a way to get her sympathy," The second voice interrupted.

_Chameleon? _Apollo thought, _Chameleon's part of this?_

"When it comes to me, I'm afraid that she doesn't have any sympathy."

"But do you have sympathy for her? That's my question. Before we proceed any further I must know where you stand."

"I am loyal to you and to peace." Chameleon's voice said automatically, "Celeste means nothing to me now. She has made it clear she wants nothing to do with me."

"Good. Because we need you for this mission to work. Your skills of manipulation will be exceedingly useful, especially when it comes to that Celeste. I hear she's a slippery one. Not even The Man himself could outwit her without our help."

Apollo stood outside the bridge, thinking. _Whoever is behind this conspiracy wants Celeste for some reason. Whoever it is used the Peacemakers to get to her. And it sounds like this "Man" will stop at nothing. _ Apollo suddenly had an uneasy feeling about letting Celeste out of his sight.

He heard a comm. on the bridge, and whoever was talking to Chameleon answered it.

"What is our situation in the bay, Acheron?"

From the comm., Apollo heard a static-filled response.

"It wasn't easy, Minos. The class escaped. But we've got the intruder."

"Good, bring her up here. Don't worry about the class. And inform The Man that we have what he asked us for."

Apollo closed his eyes. Celeste hadn't been able to escape after all. _I should have gone with her. I shouldn't have made her go alone. It was my responsibility, too. But at least now I know what's going on. Is it too late? _

Apollo peered into the bridge, waiting until no one inside was looking. There were only two people on the bridge, so this wasn't hard. He slipped onto the bridge and hid behind a console.

Within a few moments, three Peacemakers and Celeste entered the bridge. From his hiding place, Apollo could see Chameleon and the man called Minos turn to look at the men and young woman. He noted with alarm that Celeste's clothes were blackened and much more tattered than when he'd seen her before, as though they'd been singed in a fire and dragged through cut metal. He couldn't tell anything else about her because her back was to him, but he could imagine the indignant look on her face.

"Chameleon," she said, accusingly, "I should have guessed. You always were my biggest fan."

"Hello, Celeste." Chameleon said quietly.

"So this is what you meant by the truth." Celeste spat out.

Chameleon appeared to be having trouble looking her in the eye.

Celeste shook her head, "You think that the truth is that 'peace' means hurting people and scaring children."

Chameleon tried to lift his eyes to meet hers, but failed. He opened his mouth to speak. Celeste interrupted him.

"You're not gambling with cubits anymore, you know, these are people's lives!" she cried.

"That's enough out of you!" one of the men grabbed her roughly. The other one looked as though he was going to hit her.

"Wait." Minos said, "I'm sure The Man wants her to be brought to him in one piece. I told you, no unnecessary violence in capturing her! Look at her, what happened?"

A man with a rust-colored shirt stepped forward, "It was the only way to capture her and keep her captured! She tried to escape three times on the way here!"

"You left me ample opportunity. Can't blame a girl for trying." Celeste snorted.

"Silence, we don't want to hurt you." Minos glared back.

"Suits me just fine." Celeste muttered.

Acheron looked like he desperately wanted to try to hit her again.

Minos sighed, "Acheron, this is not acceptable. Are you trying to provoke The Man? Remember the viper incident, you fool? She was almost killed; I told you to disable it, not destroy it! And don't think I've forgotten what happened on the _Rising Star_. I doubt The Man has forgotten." Minos admonished.

Acheron stepped back, "That situation was beyond my control." He tried to make an excuse.

Minos waved a hand, "Take her to the shuttle and make sure she's secure. We'll be making contact with The Man soon. And Acheron,"

Acheron stood stiffly.

"Don't make any more mistakes." Minos said threateningly.

Acheron and the two other men turned and ushered Celeste toward the bridge door.

Apollo caught a glimpse of Celeste's face. His heart stuck in his throat. Her face was sooty, and there was a cut across her forehead. Her eyes simmered with something Apollo had never seen in them before. It was an intense mix of fury, resentment, and betrayal. She cast one last glance toward Chameleon before stomping off the bridge with the Peacemakers.

_She obviously knows Chameleon. _Apollo thought, watching her go. He thought he saw a slight limp in her step. _I'm sorry, Celeste. I wish you hadn't come after me. _Apollo looked back at Minos and Chameleon. _I've got to do something before anything worse happens. _

Minos stood and looked long at Chameleon, whose eyes were still on the floor, "She means nothing to you?"

Chameleon looked up, "Hurting her was never part of the deal."

"Perhaps _you'd _like to take her place." Minos said, "I'm sure The Man would be glad to see you, though probably not alive."

"Are you threatening me?" Chameleon stood up, eyes blazing.

Minos stood calmly, "It all depends on your perception. Do you perceive me as a threat to you?"

Chameleon sighed, "Not to me…but Celeste…"

"Celeste is the price of our glory!" Minos suddenly hissed, "The Man assured us of the end of the war on the condition that we give him that girl! How can she be worth more to you than the cause of peace? It is within The Man's power to give, and our power to take! All that stands in humanity's way is that one traitor!"

"Celeste may be a lot of things, but she is no traitor." Chameleon said.

"But are you." Minos asked darkly, "Are you going to become a turncoat just when the war could be over? Think of it, no more fighting! No more pesky warriors and politicians controlling the future! The fleet will be ruled by the people, not by a bunch of aging bureaucrats!"

Chameleon was silent. Minos gestured out the viewglass, "Out there lies humanity's destiny!"

Apollo looked out the viewglass and blinked. He couldn't believe what he saw.

A large, round ship lay just ahead of the _Neptuna_. It was flat, with five rays on the disk-shaped ship coming from the center in a star form. At the end of each ray were twin mega-pulsar guns.

A Cylon gunship.

_No one's seen a Cylon gunship in yahrens. _Apollo thought, _Most of them were destroyed in the Battle of Molocay. _

"I know you are a person, Chameleon. I cannot deny you your feelings." Minos said, "But I must ask that you not let them get in the way of your judgment." Minos left the bridge.

Chameleon stared at the gunship and sighed. "I wish I'd never joined you, Minos," he whispered, "It wasn't so bad before you brought Celeste into this. I wish there _was_ a way I could change my decision."

"Maybe there is." Apollo stood up. It was time he took action.

¤

Starbuck paced back and forth in Blue Squadron's quarters. Boomer sat on his bunk, polishing the buckles on his uniform. Zac was trying to take a nap, but was having difficulty. Starbuck was driving both men crazy with his pacing.

Boomer set down his polishing rag, "Starbuck, why don't you go work off some of that energy in the exercise room?"

Starbuck just sighed and changed direction.

Zac put his pillow over his head.

Boomer shook his head at Starbuck and tried to resume his polishing. _When Starbuck is like this, the best thing to do is leave him alone. But how much longer can we take it before we join him? _

Suddenly, Starbuck stopped, snapped his fingers, and hurried out of the quarters.

Zac took the pillow off his head and looked questioningly at Boomer, "Where's he going?"

Boomer raised his eyebrows, "I don't know, but something tells me we'd better follow him."

Zac sat up and nodded, "Something tells me you're right!"

The two pilots stood up and rushed after Starbuck.

By the time they found him, he was emerging from the _Galactica's _bridge with a big grin on his face.

"What's going on?" Boomer asked him.

Starbuck didn't stop, so Boomer and Zac jogged to keep up with him.

"Where are we going?" Zac asked.

Starbuck grinned at them, "The shuttle's back!"

"Yeah!" Zac whooped, "That's great news!"

The three of them arrived just as the shuttle was landing.

"Look at that blaster scoring!" Boomer remarked, pointing to some marks on the hull of the shuttle, "Looks like she had a rough time escaping!"

Zac nodded, "Well, you know Celeste…"

"I'll bet Apollo had a fit." Starbuck smiled, imagining Celeste breaking out of the _Neptuna_ in her usual explosive style.

They all waited expectantly as the shuttle set down in the bay and the hatch opened. All around them, worried parents of the First Learning students had gathered. Colonel Tigh and Commander Adama arrived.

Children began emerging from the shuttle and running into their parents' arms. Athena carried one little girl down from the shuttle. The little girl was in tears, and Athena looked upset as well. She delivered the little girl to her parents and turned to look at the shuttle.

Boomer, Starbuck, and Zac went quickly to Athena. Colonel Tigh and Commander Adama followed. All were wondering the same thing; where were Apollo and Celeste?

"Athena!" Zac cried, "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Are all of the children safe?" Tigh asked.

Athena turned around to see the five concerned men approaching her. She looked as though she was on the verge of tears, "The children all made it out safely, thanks to Celeste…but I had to leave…I didn't know she wasn't on board…and there were lots of men with huge guns…they were firing on us…" Athena took a shaky breath, "And Celeste…I didn't know she was still outside. She yelled to me to take off, so I did. By the time I realized she was still in the fight, it was too late to go back and get her…" Athena looked at Starbuck, "The way things were when we left, she wouldn't have had much of a chance!"

Starbuck looked like he was in shock, "You mean she's not here?" he asked, though the question sounded repetitive even to him. He didn't want to believe what Athena had just said.

Athena shook her head, "And Apollo went to find out what's going on with the Peacemakers."

"He did _what?_" Colonel Tigh asked, "Do you mean that Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Celeste are both still on the _Neptuna_?"

Athena nodded sadly.

Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh exchanged looks.

"Sons of Kobal." Adama said, almost under his breath.

"What's the problem?" Starbuck asked, "Let's just send another shuttle to go get them!" He looked ready to fly a shuttle to the _Neptuna,_ himself.

Tigh frowned, "It's not that simple."

"The _Neptuna _left the fleet at full speed quite a while ago," Adama explained gravely, "It would take a shuttle many sectares to reach them."

"What about the _Lemonade_?" Zac asked, "It's much faster than a shuttle, and it's heavily armed."

"The _Lemonade _hasn't been tested out yet," Boomer reminded him.

"Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures!" Zac cried.

"I've seen what those 'Peacemakers' are capable of." Starbuck said in agreement, "Apollo and Celeste are in a lot of trouble."

Boomer protested, "But going after them in an unproven ship that was pieced together in two sectons?"

"Wouldn't they do the same thing for us?" Zac pointed out.

"Who's to say we'll even let you go?" Tigh asked, arms crossed.

The three pilots looked guiltily up at him. Starbuck gave Tigh a hopeful look, "Who's to say you won't?"

"The Council of Twelve." Tigh sighed grumpily.

Adama gave Tigh a sly look, "Perhaps we need to commandeer the _Lemonade _for military purposes," he said, "and perhaps we are sending her out, along with a Viper escort, after the _Neptuna. _After all, these Peacemakers still have the _Neptuna's _crew held hostage."

Tigh caught on, "Yes, and we are sending people to negotiate their release!" He turned to Starbuck, Zac, and Boomer, "I want you three to take this mission." He ordered with mock sternness.

"Yes sir!" All three replied, rushing to the turbolift.

"Be careful!" Athena called to them. She turned to her dad, "What can I do to help?"

Adama nodded to her, "You can take your position at the comm. and guide those pilots. If there's any problem with the _Lemonade _I want you to send out a recovery team immediately."

Athena nodded once and hurried to the turbolift after the three pilots.

"Are you sure this is wise?" Tigh asked Adama.

Adama turned to his longtime friend. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," he echoed the words of his younger son.

¤

Apollo and Chameleon snuck through the bowels of the _Neptuna. _They didn't want to risk being caught, and they needed to be able to move quickly. Apollo ran as quickly as he could on the catwalk above the deep cargo hold in the belly of the ship.

"You know what, Captain," Chameleon puffed, struggling to keep up, "I'm not sure I like your idea of a rescue plan."

"We've got to get on that shuttle before it takes off." Apollo called back. He stopped, eyeing a trapdoor above him. He reached up, pulled it open, and looked up.

"This is it!" he said to Chameleon, who had arrived, panting, behind him.

Apollo pulled himself up through the trapdoor and helped Chameleon up. They found themselves in an upper-deck cargo hold.

Apollo dashed to the door and peeked out. No one in sight. He motioned for Chameleon to follow him.

Together, they snuck down the now-darkened hall to the docking bay.

Inside the bay, Apollo could see one shuttle. The charred remains of another shuttle sat in a heap nearby. He involuntarily shuddered. _That must be the source of the soot on her clothes. The things Celeste lives through…_

He saw that the remaining shuttle was being prepared for takeoff.

"We're too late." Chameleon said.

Apollo shook his head, "There's something most people don't know about these shuttles." He said, dashing toward it. Chameleon reluctantly followed, not eager to get shot by one of the Peacemakers who were undoubtedly nearby.

Apollo tugged at a panel on the shuttle's hull. It came loose, revealing a compartment containing emergency food and ammunition. Apollo pulled the emergency stores out and climbed in. Chameleon followed him even more reluctantly than before.

"I'm liking this rescue mission less and less." Chameleon remarked, squeezing into the tight space.

Apollo said nothing and pulled the panel back into place.

Within only microns, the shuttle was airborne.

¤

The _Lemonade _still wasn't airborne. Boomer had tried everything he could think of to get it to let him start the engines. "Trust Celeste to put a security system on her ship," he grumbled.

Zac was in the gunner cockpit of the _Lemonade._ "You've got to think like Celeste, Boomer. What would she have picked as a password?"

"The problem is that I'm _not _Celeste." Boomer complained, "I can't even _begin _to think like her!"

"What about Starbuck?" Zac asked, "Maybe he can help with this."

Boomer switched his comm. on, "Hey, Starbuck. Any idea what Celeste might have used as a password to get her ship started?"

Starbuck's voice replied, "Have you tried 'cubit'?"

"Yes."

"Pyramid?"

"Uh huh."

"Crazy-girl-who-can't-stay-out-of-trouble?"

"Starbuck, I'm serious!"

"I know, Boomer, I know. Let me think…"

Zac's voice joined the conversation, "Wait…try 'Apollo'."

The _Lemonade _suddenly came to life.

"Good thinking, Zac!" Boomer said, "Are you ready Starbuck?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Starbuck replied.

Zac cheered, "Then let's go!"

The converted shuttle and the Viper launched from the Galactica.

"So far so good." Boomer reported, "She handled the launch tube just fine."

"Let's hope she handles space as well." Zac said.

"Hey, guys, do you know where we're going?" Starbuck asked.

Boomer paused to check the coordinates, "I know the direction. As to what we find when we get out there...I have no idea."

The two ships streaked through space together toward an unseen destination.

¤

The shuttle thumped hard and then settled to a stop. Apollo could guess that they had arrived on the gunship. He waited a few centons before opening the panel to get out. He and Chameleon climbed stiffly out of the cramped compartment and crawled to the front of the shuttle. They looked around the corner of the shuttle.

The Peacemakers and Celeste were walking toward a dark doorway. As soon as they were out of sight, Apollo and Chameleon snuck after them, glad for the dim lighting of the Cylon ship.

They followed the procession to a chamber with clear glass doors. The two men hid behind some venting pipes when the Peacemakers stopped.

Minos was with the Peacemakers. He turned to Celeste, "Now, my dear, I believe you have a meeting with The Man."

For some reason unapparent to Apollo, Celeste smirked.

From nowhere, Cylon centurions appeared, brandishing weapons. The Peacemakers turned in surprise.

"SURRENDER YOUR WEAPONS," one Cylon said, pointing his gun at Minos.

"Do as it says." Minos said with carefully measured calmness, "The Man obviously doesn't trust us."

Two Cylons grabbed Celeste, "COME WITH US," the Cylons ordered, pulling her to the glass doors. The doors opened and the Cylons took Celeste inside.

"Why didn't she resist?" Chameleon mouthed to Apollo. Apollo shrugged. He couldn't figure it out, either.

The other Cylons began marching the Peacemakers down the hall, "YOU ARE NOW OUR PRISONERS," they said.

As soon as the Cylons were gone, Apollo dashed to the glass doors, still open. Chameleon followed him inside. The chamber was sufficiently dark to hide them as they ducked behind some dusty equipment. This gunship obviously hadn't been used in a long time. From there, the two men watched Celeste shake off the Cylon centurions and stand in front of a strange, lighted throne. The throne turned, revealing its occupant.

"Baltar." Apollo said under his breath.

The man in the throne was smiling evilly, "At last, we meet, Lieutenant Celeste. I must admit, you're not what I expected. But that doesn't matter," He sighed, "because you will no longer get in the way of my taking the _Galactica._"

"I suppose you are going to have the Peacemakers do that for you, as well?" Celeste sneered.

"The Peacemakers are pawns, nothing else." Baltar waved his hand, "They were easy to manipulate and will be just as easy to dispose of. But you…you were a real challenge to capture." Baltar looked very pleased with himself, "The only way to bring you here was to make sure you didn't know what was going on."

"I figured it out as soon as those 'pawns' of yours started talking about 'The Man' on the shuttle and I saw your gunship. Only one man would be stupid enough to associate with the Cylons." Celeste said, "Now, you're going to do exactly what I say." She spoke forcefully.

"You're hardly in a position to make demands." Baltar smiled smugly.

Celeste matched his confidence with her eyes, "Release the people you're holding captive."

"The Peacemakers?" Baltar looked genuinely surprised, "You mean you don't hate them?"

"Why should I?" Celeste asked matter-of-factly, "They were only bowing to your every command. Now let them go."

"Or what?" Baltar smugly and confidently replied, "You'll attack an entire gunship full of Cylon centurions alone? I think you are underestimating the power I hold, and the gravity of the situation you're in."

Baltar motioned to his Centurion guards. They raised their guns.

Both hit the floor at nearly the same time.

Celeste lowered the blaster she had pulled from under her sash.

"So _that's _why she was wearing that sash!" Chameleon whispered to Apollo, "That's good thinking!" Then he realized what he'd just seen, "How did she do that?"

Baltar watched the girl. A hint of uncertainty flicked across his shadowed face. "Hmm," was all he said.

Celeste eyed him disgustedly, "If you want to kill me, you'll have to do better than that, Baltar."

Baltar nervously watched as she didn't lower the blaster. She instead pointed it straight at him!

"It...was merely a test. To see if the rumors were true." Baltar stammered, trying to regain control of the situation. He didn't know he'd never had control of the situation to begin with. Baltar didn't know that Celeste was playing him like a pyramid game.

"Oh, they're true, all right." Celeste took a few steps, emphasizing her words, "Thanks to your friends there," she gestured to the motionless Cylons without taking her stormy and cold eyes off Baltar, "I can shoot faster, I can react quicker, I can fly more skillfully than any pilot in the Colonial fleet. I'm not a mindless drone like a Cylon. But I'm no longer completely human. Anything you can do, I can do it faster, more accurately, and to my advantage. Add onto that the fact that I'm not known for my ability to hold my temper." Celeste stopped and stared straight into Baltar's eyes, "And I suggest that _you _are underestimating the gravity of the situation that _you _are in. I also suggest that you chose your words and actions carefully. They could become your last."

"She's good!" Chameleon acknowledged quietly, surprised.

Baltar squirmed almost imperceptibly. He hated this situation, but there wasn't much he could do with this crazy woman holding a blaster to his head.

"Now, I'll ask you again." Celeste tapped the blaster with her trigger finger, "Let the humans go."

"Or what?" This time, Baltar's response was considerably less confident.

Celeste replied threateningly, "Or I'll attack your gunship and all of your Cylons."

Baltar looked as though he wasn't sure how to take this response. Judging by what little he knew of this Celeste person, and what he'd just seen, and that look in her eyes, she was very probably telling the truth. He stared uneasily down at her from his elevated seat. "Well, then, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Then Baltar smiled evilly, "Of course I'll release those prisoners, if those are your terms."

Celeste didn't trust the smile. If Baltar was smiling, that meant that he thought he was once again in charge. He probably had something up his sleeves. On the other hand, Baltar had clearly never played pyramid well. His face showed everything he thought to Celeste, who was skilled in reading facial expressions. She knew what he was thinking. And she could use that to her advantage.

"Baltar, in case it eluded that blinded brain of yours," Celeste said, "Even now, our forces are gathering to attack the Cylon homeworld. There will be squadrons of fighters arriving any centon! And they know the weakness of the _Tartarus-_class gunship."

Baltar definitely looked more nervous, "Why should I believe _you_? Not even your own _captain _believes you!"

Apollo frowned. He saw a flicker of sadness in Celeste's eye. But Baltar apparently didn't notice it.

_Boom. _The gunship shuddered slightly. _Boom. Boom. _

Now Baltar really did look worried.

Celeste took advantage of this new development, "There they are, Baltar. The fighters, _and _a _Tiger_ we found and salvaged."

"A what?" Chameleon whispered.

"A _Tiger_-class Colonial Destroyer." Apollo explained, "They were the reason the Cylons built the gunships. But we don't have any, now. The last ones were destroyed long ago."

Chameleon nodded, "She's bluffing." He watched Celeste with a new appreciation for the situation.

Baltar eyed the now-closed glass door. Celeste glanced that direction. Cylon centurions were arriving at the door. It opened.

"BY YOUR COMMAND." The Cylons said. They noticed Celeste holding a gun on their leader. But that was the last thing they noticed.

More Cylons came in. "BY YOUR CO-" They joined their fellow Cylons on the floor.

The Cylons outside the door seemed reluctant to come inside. They raised the volume on their voice circuits and shouted through the door, "BY YOUR COMMAND. AT LEAST SIX COLONIAL SQUADRONS ARE ATTACKING THE GUNSHIP. WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS?"

Baltar stared at Celeste, who smiled thinly. He was clearly worried, "Send out the raiders! All of them!"

"BY YOUR COMMAND." The Cylons left.

"Wait!" Baltar yelped, "Come back! Come back you cowards!" He kept an eye on Celeste.

The ship rocked as a solonite bomb exploded against its hull. Baltar and Celeste were thrown to the ground. Baltar managed to grab a gun from a fallen Cylon. He ran for the door. But Celeste was there ahead of him with her blaster in his face.

But this time, Baltar also had _his _gun up.

"They hit the tylium energizer." He growled at Celeste.

"I can pull this trigger faster than you can blink," Celeste reminded him.

Baltar lowered his gun, "If you stand here, blocking the door, neither of us will leave here alive."

Celeste didn't blink. "So be it," she said.

Before Baltar could think of a response, the glass doors behind Celeste slid open. The glint of silver armor shone in the hallway.

Then it happened.

The sound of a Cylon pulse rifle discharging.

Apollo watched as the scene played in slow motion before him. Suddenly, he wasn't on an old Cylon gunship. His mind took him to an ancient planet, where he saw his beloved wife fall to the ground from the fire of a Cylon gun.

But when the vision cleared, it wasn't Serina who was lying on the ground.

It was Celeste.

Apollo sat in shock, seeing but not seeing as Baltar and the Cylons quickly left the chamber. He heard, but didn't hear Chameleon's gasp.

All he could see was the motionless warrior lying in front of the glass door. All he could hear was her voice, echoing hauntingly in his ears.

_So be it. _

He rushed to her, with Chameleon close behind him. He was so numb that he couldn't feel his feet touching the ground.

All that mattered now was Celeste. Only Celeste.

_No! Not Celeste! She's not done living yet! _

He reached the young woman. She was breathing, but shallowly. He picked up her hand. It felt limp and small in his.

"No, Celeste, no! Don't do this! I can't lose you, too!" he cried, "Say something."

Celeste's eyelids fluttered. She moaned.

_Apollo, I think I hear Apollo. But I'm dead, so why do I hear him? Maybe it's an angel and it just sounds like Apollo. Unless Apollo's dead, too! Oh no! I think I should find out if it is Apollo before I jump to conclusions. But how? Talking, I remember that's a good way to communicate. But can a dead person talk? I guess I can try…_

Celeste opened her eyes weakly, "Apollo?" she tried to sit up. _If that's an angel, he sure looks a lot like Apollo. _

"Lie still." Apollo told her, "It's okay. I'm here, and you're going to be okay."

"Apollo!" Celeste cried, "Are you dead?"

Apollo blinked, "No, Celeste, I'm fine. Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here. You're going to be all right."

Celeste closed her eyes. Whatever was going on was a lot easier to deal with when she couldn't see what it was.

"Just hang in there." Apollo whispered. He nodded to Chameleon, "Okay, let's get her to the shuttle."

Celeste opened her eyes again, "Wait, the Peacemakers! They're probably still imprisoned somewhere…" Celeste sat up, wincing as she tried to stand up.

"Lay down, that's an order!" Apollo said sternly, afraid she might hurt herself more.

Celeste gave him a dirty look before she collapsed.

Chameleon looked grim, "She's right, Captain." He picked up a gun from the ground, "I'll go get them and meet you back at the shuttle."

"Are you sure?" Apollo didn't look sure.

Chameleon forced an almost-cocky smile, "What can I say, she's an inspiration. If she can do it, so can I." He strode quickly out the door.

Apollo scooped up the surprisingly-light Celeste and followed Chameleon.

"Good luck." Apollo called to Chameleon.

"Good luck, Captain." Chameleon answered, "And take care of her."

They each went a different direction down the halls.

¤

"For the last time, Apollo, I'm fine! It's just a bruise!" Celeste protested as Apollo tried again to make her lie on a makeshift bed on the shuttle.

"You were unconscious!" Apollo said.

Celeste rolled her eyes, "You would be, too if you'd been blasted into the floor of a Cylon gunship!"

Apollo patiently pushed her back into the seat cushions, "Well, you need to stay in bed for a while. You probably got a concussion."

"Are you going to _order _me to stay in bed, Captain?" Celeste asked darkly, "Or do you still not believe that this vest I'm wearing is pulse-proof?"

"I believe it," Apollo sighed, "You should have been an inventor."

"Oh, great. Not you, too. Why does _everyone _disagree with my career choice?" Celeste grumbled.

Apollo looked incomprehensively at her, "What do you mean? Who disagrees with you being a Colonial Warrior?"

Celeste paused. "Forget it. I didn't say anything."

"But I think I need to say something." Chameleon said, appearing in the shuttle, "A lot of things, actually." Apollo hadn't even heard the hatch open.

Apollo stood up, "Is everyone accounted for?"

"We're all here." Minos said from behind Chameleon.

"Good." Apollo looked again at the simmering Celeste. He'd have to talk to her later. It was time to launch the shuttle.

Another solonite bomb exploded, rocking the shuttle. This time, the explosion seemed to continue even after the shockwaves. Apollo climbed into the pilot's seat, leaving Chameleon to the piercing glare of Celeste.

¤

"Starbuck, more fighters are coming out of that gunship!" Boomer manipulated the _Lemonade_'s controls.

"I see them, Boomer. Hey, do you think they've figured out that there's only two of us?" Starbuck asked, blasting a Cylon raider.

Zac locked his gun onto one of the flat grey ships, "I don't think it makes any difference to them right now. Look!"

The Cylon gunship was exploding.

"That last solium bomb I accidentally dropped must have hit the tylium energizer!" Zac cried, "If only I'd figured out the weapons controls on this thing _before _we got engaged in combat!"

"If only Celeste had left an operator's manual for this thing." Boomer said dryly, "At least it seems to be holding up."

Starbuck saw the explosion in the center of the gunship spreading to the rest of the ship. "What if Apollo and Celeste are still on the gunship?" he cried, "That's where that Peacemaker guy on the _Neptuna _said that they went!"

"Let's hope that's them on that shuttle!" Zac exclaimed.

Starbuck and Boomer looked. Sure enough, one of the _Galactica_'s shuttles was flying away from the doomed gunship at full speed.

Starbuck nervously eyed the Cylon ship, "She's gonna blow! Boomer, let's get out of here!" He thrusted after the shuttle and caught up easily.

Boomer scrambled for the turbo button.

The gunship exploded behind the Lemonade.

Zac watched worriedly from his aft cockpit, "Boomer, it's getting hot back here…"

Boomer found a button marked "Super Turbo" and punched it.

The _Lemonade _streaked past Starbuck's viper and the shuttle and disappeared into space.

"What was that?" Starbuck said, "Boomer? Boomer? Come in. Zac? Hello?"

"Starbuck, is that you?" Apollo's voice asked.

"Apollo! Boy is it good to hear your voice!" Starbuck exclaimed, "Where's Celeste? Is she with you? Is she okay?"

"She's right here, and she's okay, considering." Apollo answered.

Starbuck didn't like that answer when it was regarding his little sister, "Considering? Considering what?"

"She had a run in with a Cylon pulse rifle, but she's okay…"

"Okay?" Starbuck cried, "And what in the context of Celeste and a Cylon gun does 'okay' mean?"

"She's alive, Starbuck. She was wearing a pulse-proof vest that she made from some hull plating from one of the Cylon raiders."

Starbuck tried to sigh with relief. It came out differently than he'd planned.

"Are you all right, Starbuck?" Apollo asked when he heard a strange noise come from his friend.

"I don't know. I don't think I've been entirely all right ever since I met her!"

Apollo grinned a little, "Better get used to it. It seems that Celeste is going to be around for a while. And I doubt this is the last time something like this happens."

Starbuck shook his head, "When we get back to the _Galactica_, I want the whole story. Sounds like a good one."

"Fair enough." Apollo replied, "Hey, Starbuck, a moment ago you were calling for Boomer and Zac…"

"Yeah." Starbuck said, "They, uh…they went back to the _Galactica _a little faster than we're going."

"Oh. Ok." Apollo decided it was better not to ask.

The Viper and the shuttle flew side by side toward the fleet of mismatched ships that they called 'home'.

…_To Be Continued…_


	2. Part 2

Part 2

"That's quite a story." Starbuck said as he and Apollo strolled down the halls on the _Galactica. _Apollo had just finished telling him about Celeste's most recent adventure, and now they were on their way to the life center to visit her.

"It is," agreed Apollo, "But it really scares me. I've never known the Cylons to single out one person before. If Baltar is this serious about capturing her, I doubt he's going to stop until he succeeds again."

Starbuck shook his head, "Baltar didn't know what he was getting himself into when he decided to capture Celeste. She's gotta be the most stubborn person I've ever met! If anyone can outlast Baltar's obsession, it's her."

Apollo smiled a little, "She does have quite a few tricks up her sleeves. She's as good at getting out of trouble as she is at getting into it. Like somebody else I know."

Starbuck gave Apollo an innocent look, "Who?"

They reached the door to the life center. Apollo opened the door and they both stepped inside.

Cassiopeia came to greet them, "Hello Starbuck, Captain. Are you here to see Celeste?"

"Yes we are, where is she?" Apollo answered, looking around.

"Well…she's not here right now. Her d-that is Chameleon came by and they left together." Cassie glanced over at Starbuck, wondering if he'd caught her near-slip. He didn't appear to have noticed. Cassie smiled a relieved smile at Apollo, "That woman is amazing! She can be kidnapped by hijackers, shot at, roughed up, blown up, shot by a Cylon rifle, and come out of it all with a slight concussion and a few scrapes and bruises!" Cassie sighed, "But I am getting tired of having her here. She's a great person, but she just can't sit still!"

Starbuck smiled laughingly, "That's Celeste!"

Cassiopeia looked tired, "Well, if she's not more careful, we're just going to have to have a bed permanently reserved for her. She's in here far too often!"

"I know." Apollo said.

Starbuck saw the sad look in Apollo's eyes and changed the subject, "Hey, Cassie. Any idea where we could find her?"

Cassiopeia nodded, "I think Chameleon mentioned something about the observation lounge."

"Great. Let's go, Apollo." Starbuck waved, "I'll see you later, Cassie!" He was anxious to see for himself that Celeste was okay. He and Apollo left the life center.

Cassie watched them go, smiling and shaking her head.

¤

Chameleon stared at his daughter over his hand of pyramid cards. Her bright blue eyes shone above her hand of cards. She was enjoying herself, and Chameleon had to admit, so was he. It had been a long time since he'd had any real challenge playing the simple game of Pyramid. For some reason, however, luck seemed to favor Celeste, as was apparent by the piles of cubits on her side of the table.

But Chameleon was certain that her luck would run out soon. Especially since he had a third-level pyramid this time! Sure, it wasn't a perfect pyramid, but the odds of Celeste having a higher-scoring pyramid were low enough that Chameleon felt very confident that the game was his.

Celeste's eyes stared unblinkingly into Chameleon's. He had to hand it to her, she knew how to make a guy feel less confident!

Chameleon watched as Celeste pushed another stack of cubits toward the "pot" in the middle of the table. She raised her eyebrows at him.

He wasn't going to back down now, not when he could get more cubits out of her! He slid a stack of his own cubits into the middle of the table, catching a slightly mischievious glint in her eyes as he did so.

Celeste took a deep breath, stared hard at her cards, then looked at her cubits. She picked up _one _cubit and placed it in the pile. "Well, I guess that does it for me," she sighed.

Chameleon resisted the urge to grin. He had her this time!

"Okay, what do you have," he asked, laying his cards on the table, "that will beat a third-level pyramid?" A grin escaped.

Celeste slapped her cards on the table.

Chameleon stared. This couldn't be happening.

She had a _perfect _third-level pyramid!

Celeste swept the cubits into her pile and looked cockily at Chameleon, "Again?"

"Absolutely not!" Chameleon cried, "I may be a gambler, but I'm not a fool!"

Celeste sighed. Another one bites the dust. Well, it had been fun having an opponent while it lasted. She wished she could let other people win once in a while.

On the other hand, she never would have imagined that she'd be sitting on a battlestar playing pyramid with her father…and beating him. In a way, it was poetic justice.

Chameleon was unaware of Celeste's thoughts. He was too busy with his own. He shuffled the cards, staring thoughtfully at the table. Finally, he set the cards on the table and sighed, "Celeste, I'm sorry."

Celeste blinked, "Huh?"

Chameleon looked seriously at Celeste, "I've been a lousy father, and not such a great man in general."

_I know. _Thought Celeste, but she said nothing.

"I wanted so much more for us…I wanted to build a nice new house in the country, and to take you there to live…away from all the madness and fighting. But I couldn't escape myself." He sighed again, "My gambling debts wouldn't let me break away. Once I found out that you were still alive, I tried to find you."

"I remember." Celeste said dryly.

Chameleon looked sadly at Celeste, "And you were so young, but you already knew what you wanted to do in life, and you knew how to make it happen. I never had that. I had dreams, but I never was able to make them come true. And joining the military…it wasn't the life I wanted for my little girl. I had hoped you'd meet a nice man, settle down, and give me grandkids to spoil. "

Celeste sat back in her chair and frowned at him, remembering the time they'd spent together at the Academy. It had not been pleasant for her, knowing her only living family member opposed her chosen profession.

Chameleon continued, "I guess I was…jealous. I was jealous that you were doing something with your life that you really believed in. Something that would help other people. And such a dangerous job, too. I envied your courage and guts."

Celeste looked down, "It's all in the past, now." she muttered.

"No, not really." Chameleon said, "Because here we are together again, and the first thing I said to you after seeing you for the first time in yahrens was that you were a fool."

"No," Celeste corrected, "The first thing you said to me was 'What were you doing under that table, young lady?' But that conversation's not really important now."

"If it's not important," Chameleon said softly, "Why do you remember it word-for-word?"

Celeste looked away, "Look, whether I like it or not, we're related, so let's leave it at that, okay?"

Chameleon saw the hurt in her eyes. His mind flickered back to a time long ago, when a two-yahren-old girl with shiny blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes looked up at him, holding out a finger with a splinter in it. There had been no tears from her, but there was a pain in her eyes that expressed her feelings more than words could. Even then, she had been so strong, yet so vulnerable. But back then, she had come to him, her daddy, for help. She had trusted him to make the pain go away.

With that memory, Chameleon closed his eyes and sighed. Now he was the cause of the pain. Circumstances had brought him back to his little girl twice, and both times he had unforgivably betrayed her. He'd insulted her and her friends. He'd nearly gotten her killed. He didn't blame her for not trusting him.

And yet, here they were, relaxing and playing pyramid together. Maybe there was still hope.

Apollo and Starbuck arrived at the lounge, spotted the two of them at the table, and strode over.

"Hey, guys, what are you up to?" Starbuck asked, unaware of the awkward moment that had just transpired.

Chameleon recovered characteristically quickly, "Oh, nothing much, I was just beating Celeste at a few games of Pyramid."

"What?" Celeste's mouth dropped open, "That's not true!" she stood up. Then she realized that all of the cubits were clearly on her side of the table, and the three men were watching her with amused looks on their faces. She sat down, her face turning red, "Oh."

"Glad to see you're feeling better." Apollo said.

Celeste looked at Apollo uncertainly. Another awkward moment transpired.

Starbuck looked from his friend to his sister and back. Then he turned to Chameleon, "Mind if I give it a try? I have this new system that is absolutely foolproof!"

"As foolproof as the one you had when I met you?" Chameleon asked.

Starbuck held up his hands, "Hey, that system had a major flaw, like you said. I've finally worked it out, and now it's perfect!" Starbuck sat down and dug in his pockets. When his hands came up empty, he looked hopefully at Apollo.

"Don't look at me," Apollo shook his head, "I'm not losing another secton's pay!"

Celeste dropped half the cubits into her cubit bag and slid the rest in front of Starbuck, "Here, Starbuck. Have fun."

Starbuck gave Celeste a surprised look.

Celeste shrugged, "I figure I owe you for reinforcing my bluff back on the gunship. You and Boomer and Zac started firing on that ship at the exact same time as I was telling Baltar about the legions of Vipers on their way to the Cylon capital."

"Really?" Starbuck smiled, "That's quite a coincidence!"

"It must be Celestial luck!" Chameleon exclaimed, "Okay, Starbuck, let's see if it's a family trait."

"I hope so!" said Starbuck, "Are you playing, Celeste?"

"No," Celeste shook her head, "I'll let you guys duel it out." She caught Chameleon's eye. _Tell him. _She mouthed.

Chameleon glared slightly, but then sighed as Starbuck began dealing and Celeste walked away.

"Good luck, Starbuck." Apollo said; then he turned to follow Celeste to the turbolift.

¤

"Celeste, we need to talk." Apollo pulled her aside when they got off the turbolift. He'd been thinking about what he wanted to say to her ever since the shuttle.

Celeste turned, "About what?" she asked, the anger of that senton when they'd been on the shuttle momentarily forgotten.

Apollo hated to remind her of it, but he couldn't put it off any longer.

"About you going on missions." Apollo said.

Defensiveness crept over Celeste's face. "Oh," she said, "I see."

Apollo looked down, unable to look at her, "You've done a lot of good things for us, not the least of which was saving all those warriors from the Cylons. You proved to all of us that you can do anything you set your mind to…"

Celeste sighed, "Apollo, cut the felgercarb. What is it you want to say?"

Apollo shook his head, "Why do you always set your mind to things that you are ordered not to do? Or extremely dangerous things?"

"It's not like I choose for things to happen, Captain. They just do. And when things happen that I know I can help with, I do my best to help with them." Celeste explained, "It's not my fault that most people don't trust that I can accomplish them."

Apollo winced, remembering Baltar's comment that not even Celeste's captain trusted her.

"I do trust you, Celeste, but I just don't want to see you get hurt." Apollo answered, trying to dispel Baltar's words.

Celeste didn't look like she believed him, "What are you, my father? You know if I were Starbuck or Boomer or any of the guys, you wouldn't act this way. You let _them_ do their jobs. I made a promise when I became a Warrior that I would protect people's lives _to the best of my ability_. Well, the best of my ability might be more than most people can handle, thanks to the Cylons, but it's _my_ best!"

Apollo closed his eyes, "Do you think that if you didn't have the Cylon capabilities you'd behave any differently?"

"I might not go as far." Celeste replied, "but I'd still give it everything I've got. Even if that everything was less than what I have now. My job is to protect life as long as I live."

"But don't you understand?" Apollo cried, gritting his teeth, " 'As long as you live' might not be very long at the rate you're going!"

Celeste paused before another heated remark left her mouth. She'd never seen Apollo this worked up before.

"That's a risk we all know we're taking when we get out of bed in the morning." Celeste said quietly, "It goes with the job." She turned to leave.

Apollo grabbed her arm, "Celeste."

She looked back at the man standing in the hallway with her. There was an intense sadness in his eyes. A mourning and a pleading that beckoned to her. She suddenly felt that she wanted nothing more than to comfort it. He was no longer her fearless, confident captain, but a man worn down by tragedy. The biting fire left her heart and was replaced by a feeling she had tried to forget.

Apollo looked into her eyes, "I thought I'd lost you this last time."

Celeste blinked slowly. She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry," she said. _That sounds so corny. But what can I say? _

Apollo looked as though he wanted to tell her something more, but he didn't. He seemed to retreat back into himself, "Make sure it doesn't happen again." He turned to walk away down the hall.

Celeste stared after Apollo, her eyes fixed on his brown jacket. _Wow. That last misadventure really affected him. I wonder why? I survived, and I didn't even get so much as a cracked rib._

_ Wait a centon…he was there. In the Cylon gunship. After I fell. He was there, talking to me. I remember now. He must have seen the Cylon before I did. And he didn't know I was wearing a pulse-proof vest. _

_Poor Apollo!_

The realization that Apollo had seen her get shot point-blank by a Cylon cleared a few things up for Celeste.

_That would be enough to bother anybody! Well, anybody _human_ anyway. _

But there was something Apollo's voice and eyes that told Celeste that there was more going on than the shock of seeing a friend fall to a Cylon. Something even deeper than that. Some deep pain that had resurfaced because of the events on the gunship. A part of Celeste suddenly understood Apollo's reluctance to let her go.

But a stubborn part told her that she should have a chance to live her life, regardless of something that happened to Apollo in the past.

_I don't know exactly what happened to Apollo, but I understand pain. Still, I've worked hard not to let things from my past get in the way of our friendship. It isn't easy, but it can be done. Apollo is one of my closest friends. I know I'd do nearly anything for him. But I also know I can't live the way he wants me to live. _

With a divided heart, Celeste decided to find someplace to forget her troubles for a while.

¤

Commander Adama stood on the bridge of the _Galactica_ as he had so many times before. His hands clasped behind his back, he surveyed the bridge operations from his place on the rotating command center, just as he usually did. All the computer terminals and consoles blinked and whirred, functioning as they should. Scanner screens showed several of the fleet ships and a few shuttles, but nothing to be concerned about. Aside from the now familiar reports of water shortages, it seemed that everything was running smoothly.

Nevertheless, Adama was feeling anxious. He felt that something big was about to happen. Of course, something big was nearly _always _happening. That was life on the _Galactica_. But to Commander Adama, this felt different.

He had a strange feeling that something life-changing was about to happen. He just hoped it wouldn't be life-threatening to anyone. They'd had enough bad news in the past few sentons to make up for the quietness of the sectons prior.

Colonel Tigh approached Adama. He had that frown on his face that told Adama that something was going on that he probably wouldn't like.

Adama sighed and turned to his second-in-command.

"Commander." Tigh said.

"Yes, Colonel?" Adama answered.

Tigh echoed Adama's sigh, "I have some bad news."

_I was afraid of that, _thought Adama. "Yes?"

"Lieutenants Boomer and Zac haven't returned with the _Lemonade _yet. They're off our scanners, and we've had no success trying to establish communication with them." Tigh said.

Adama frowned, "Captain Apollo and Lt. Starbuck arrived over two sentons ago. They said that the _Lemonade _left ahead of them."

Tigh nodded, "We caught a blip of something on our scanners prior to the arrival of the others. It may have been the _Lemonade, _but it was traveling so fast it was hard to tell. It's possible that they lost control of that…ship…and ended up far from here."

Adama leaned out over the railing on the command center and spoke to a pretty lady with a long braid sitting at a console, "Get a positive identification on that ship from the scanner archive. I want to be sure it was the _Lemonade._"

Flight Corporal Rigel looked up from her console. She was close enough that she'd overheard the conversation. She looked worriedly at Commander Adama, "Yes, sir." She began working on it. Rigel tried to act calm, and she was good at it. But inside, she was worried about the missing _Lemonade. _

It didn't take long for her to find the strange blip on the scanner screen. She froze the frame and ran a search. The computer came up with one possibility. Rigel frowned, until she remembered that the _Lemonade'_s unique configuration hadn't yet been logged into the computers. The result was a viper, but she'd never known a viper to move that fast before. It had to be Lt. Celeste's "hot rod" _Lemonade. _

"Sir, the computer result says it is a Colonial Viper. But it was moving at nearly four times the normal top speed of a viper." Rigel said.

Adama nodded, "Calculate the destination of the ship if it remained at that same speed and on that same course for the amount of time since it passed."

Rigel keyed in a few more commands into the computer. She waited as the _Galactica_'s long-range scanners went to work scanning the area that the computer indicated.

"There is a small planet in quadrant theta, about five sentares away." Rigel declared, pressing a button to electronically send the info to the command console.

Tigh read the screen, "That's a possible emergency landing point, only slightly off their trajectory. And we should reach that planet soon."

Adama ordered, "Get Captain Apollo up here at once."

"Sir." A bridge officer turned. His name was Omega, "Long range scanners are indicating that the planet only has one land mass."

"That's probably what they would have headed for." Tigh said logically.

"Yes," agreed Adama.

Apollo arrived at the bridge, "Sir?"

Adama gestured for Apollo to join him on the command center platform, "Zac and Boomer have not yet returned. We think they may have made a forced landing on a nearby planet. I want you to take a patrol out there to locate them, and to assist them if you can."

"Yes Sir." Apollo said seriously.

"If I may make a suggestion," Adama continued, "Starbuck and Celeste would be excellent choices for this mission."

Apollo's face seemed to harden a little. "Thank you for the suggestion," he said, his mind already made up.

"Apollo," Adama looked into his son's face. He knew that look. And he also knew what had caused it, "No one knows that ship as well as she does. And you may find need for her resourcefulness."

"All due respect, but if they crashed the ship at that speed, we won't have to worry about operating it." Apollo pointed out, "And we did just fine on rescue missions before she ever came on board."

Adama looked gravely at his eldest son. This time, he could feel that Apollo's conflict was worse than before. Because of what had happened that night, yahrens ago, on Kobal. But the look in the captain's eyes was the same one that Adama had seen for sentons after Apollo had found out about Serina training to be a warrior. Adama raised his eyebrows at Apollo, "She won't like being left out."

Apollo sighed, "Father, she barely made it out of the last mission with her life. If it hadn't been for the vest she made…"

Adama gave his son one last look, "Of course, it's your decision, Captain." He turned away to look toward the front of the bridge. A small blue speck was barely visible amongst the stars.

Apollo closed his eyes, sighed heavily, and left the bridge.

Athena, having heard the entire exchange, glanced toward her brother who was heading down a hall. She took off her headset and stood up, "Rigel, cover my station for a few microns?"

Rigel nodded and Athena followed after Apollo.

"Apollo!" Athena called.

Apollo turned.

"Dad's right…" Athena began.

Apollo interrupted, "Athena, you don't understand."

"I may just be your little sister, but I understand a few things that you don't seem to!" Athena cried, "Celeste isn't the kind of person to take 'no' for an answer!"

"I know that. But if I let her go, I might lose her!" Apollo's voice was strained.

Athena countered, "But if you _don't _let her go, you _will _lose her!"

"What are you talking about?" Apollo asked.

"You know what I'm talking about," Athena sighed, "Lt. Celeste is a good pilot, and a good warrior. After all she's done don't you think she's earned a place on that team? And earned your confidence in her?"

"It's not a question of my confidence in her." Apollo replied, "I know how good she is. But I also know that she takes a lot of unnecessary risks. Even more than Starbuck does. And one of these days…"

Athena looked at her brother, sympathy in her expression, "Her life is her choice to make. That's what freedom's about." She held up her hand as Apollo started to say something, "and yes, you are her commanding officer, and you can order her to stay here at home. I know she'd do it if _you_ asked it of her. And doing so would probably lengthen her life. But what kind of life is that for her? She's a pilot, Apollo. Through and through."

Apollo closed his eyes, "I don't have time to discuss this, Athena. We'll be within visual range of the planet soon, and Boomer and Zac could be in trouble."

A flash of worry for her little brother shone in Athena's eyes. "I hope you know what you're doing," she shook her head, "because I'd hate to see anything come between you and Starbuck."

"Starbuck?" Apollo asked.

Athena looked straight into Apollo's face, "He's Celeste's big brother isn't he?"

Apollo looked away, "You're right."

Athena glanced back the way she'd come. "I'm needed on the bridge," she said, "Good luck with the patrol." Athena nodded at Apollo and strode back down the hall.

Apollo continued toward the flight deck of the _Galactica. _He knew Athena was wishing him luck with more than just the mission.

¤

"Lieutenant!" Apollo approached Celeste. He saw the girl tense up, then turn around. She had quickly caught on to the awkwardness that had suddenly sprung up between the two of them over the course of the past senton. Her blue eyes were apologetic, almost guilty. She took a deep breath, preparing herself to argue her way into another mission.

But Apollo stopped her, "Lt. Celeste, I want you and Starbuck for this mission."

Celeste's blue eyes went wide with surprise, "Yes Sir!" She tucked her helmet under her arm and began heading for the launching bay. She hurried, in case Apollo might suddenly change his mind.

Apollo watched her go, wondering as he always did whether Celeste would be flying her viper on a one-way trip. _Get a grip, Apollo. _He told himself, _It's just a rescue mission! It's not like we're up against a Cylon attack force! There's little to worry about. Especially compared to the _last _mission! _

Apollo quickly went to retrieve his own helmet from the cubby near the launching bay.

¤

Celeste dashed up to her viper, feeling a thrill as she climbed the metal staircase. There was a power, an energy, which seemed to surround a viper that was ready to launch even before the engines had been turned on. Adrenaline surged through Celeste in anticipation of the launch. Sure, it was a rescue mission, not an action-packed alert. But any launch in a viper was exciting to Celeste, and it never lost its thrill.

She put on her helmet and climbed into the cockpit. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Starbuck dashing up to his fighter. She didn't see Apollo, though.

"Hey, Starbuck, how was the game?" Celeste asked through the comm.

Starbuck's voice answered, "Don't ask."

Celeste smiled, "Not as foolproof as you'd hoped?"

"Not really." Starbuck answered, "would you believe we tied?"

"Are you kidding? Tying in Pyramid is almost impossible!" Celeste gasped.

"Apparently it was neither one of us' day to win." Starbuck said dryly.

Celeste chuckled, "Sorry, Starbuck."

"Me too." Starbuck said sadly, "Hey, where's Apollo?"

"Right here, sorry for the wait. I went to tell Boxey goodbye." Apollo's voice said, "but I couldn't find him. So I left a message with Cassiopeia." The captain sounded disappointed.

"Don't worry, Apollo. This isn't the first time you've left without being able to say good-bye," Starbuck said reassuringly, "Boxey'll understand."

"Are we all ready to go?" Apollo asked his two lieutenants. The back seat of Apollo's special two-seat fighter was now crammed with emergency supplies, in case of any trouble on the planet. Apollo wanted to be sure they were ready for anything.

"Ready!" Celeste and Starbuck chorused.

"Core systems transferring control to viper fighters. Launch when ready." Rigel's voice calmly said.

The three vipers accelerated through the launch tubes and out into space. Starbuck and Celeste automatically assumed a wing formation on Apollo's viper. The three flew toward the blue sphere that seemed to hang solitarily in the star field.

"Apollo, my scanner's picking up a metallic object on the surface of that planet." Starbuck said.

"Could be the _Lemonade._" Apollo said, "Keep scanning the area around it."

Celeste sat silently flying her viper. She winced when Apollo said the name of her ship. She felt responsible for whatever had happened to Zac and Boomer. _I hope they're okay. They have to be okay! Felgercarb! I wish they hadn't set it to super turbo. But I didn't _ask _them to take my ship for a ride before I had all of the buttons labeled! They must have thought that it was regular turbo. The only good thing about this is that the engines can only sustain a super turbo thrust for about thirty microns. They weren't at top speed when they reached the planet. The bad thing is that I didn't finish adjusting the inertial dampeners. Poor guys had a rough ride once they entered the planet's gravity. _

"Celeste, anything on your screen?" Apollo's voice cut through Celeste's thoughts.

Celeste blinked, "Um, aside from that metal thing Starbuck saw, no. But I'm pretty sure that thing down there is the _Lemonade._"

Apollo sighed, "Hmm. Okay, head for that spot and prepare to make a landing near the _Lemonade._ If either of you sees or hears from Boomer or Zac, let me know."

"Yes sir." Starbuck said.

"Yes sir." Celeste said, joining Starbuck in orbit around the planet.

Soon they'd be making their descent.

¤

Celeste watched the unfamiliar sight of trees outside her viper canopy. It had been a long time since she'd regularly flown a viper within the atmosphere of a planet. She gently maneuvered the fighter as it whizzed over the trees. She hoped that the _Lemonade _hadn't crashed in the forest. It would make it hard to land nearby.

Then, the trees beneath the vipers thinned out and finally disappeared, leaving a sun-scorched prairie. In the distance, something glinted in the light of the red giant star that the small planet was in orbit around.

Starbuck, who was in the lead, was the first to recognize the object, "It's the _Lemonade_!"

"Let's go check it out." Apollo said, his viper slowing to landing speed.

Celeste and Starbuck followed suit, deploying their landing gear and making a slightly bumpy landing on the dry prairie grass.

Celeste noted with some degree of relief that the _Lemonade _hadn't sustained much damage. She hoped its occupants were as fortunate.

The three pilots opened their canopies. Celeste climbed out and went to her ship, checking out over. The yellow, beige, black, and gray hull had a few long scratches. There was a furrow in the ground behind it leading to a clump of scrubby trees with broken branches. From the looks of things, the odd ship's landing gear hadn't been opened. If they had, they probably would have been broken, judging by the impact the _Lemonade _had made on the ground. Celeste climbed up onto the ship and peeked into first one canopy, then the other. Both were empty.

"They aren't inside." Celeste called down to her two friends, who were looking up at her expectantly.

"We'll keep looking. They can't be far." Apollo said, nodding to Starbuck, "Let's start searching around the area. They may have left some clues as to where they went."

Celeste slid down the side of her ship and joined her brother and Apollo in the search.

"Did you hear that?" Starbuck asked, walking around the back of the _Lemonade. _

"What?" Celeste asked, approaching him. Then she heard it, too; a sound, like voices, coming from the _Lemonade. _Without hesitating, Celeste turned and pressed a nearly hidden button on the back of her ship. A hatch opened, revealing a passenger/cargo compartment containing a few emergency supplies.

And three people.

¤

"Apollo!" Celeste called, drawing her blaster. Beside her, Starbuck did the same.

Starbuck took a few steps into the compartment, weapon drawn, "Get away from them!" he ordered. Celeste followed him in, with Apollo close behind.

As Celeste and Apollo's eyes adjusted to the darkness, they saw a thin, dark-skinned, muscular woman standing over Boomer and Zac, who were unconscious and tied up. She looked at them, fear and distrust clearly evident in her big dark eyes. The light from the open hatch cast shadows across her. Her wavy black hair shone and framed the refined features of her face. She wore tattered clothes, too worn and dirty to tell what they once might have looked like. The most striking thing about her wardrobe was the strange necklace she wore, which appeared to have been made from assorted pieces of scrap metal.

The woman hesitantly backed away from the two warriors, eying Starbuck's gun. She appeared to be sizing the three of them up; waiting for the right moment to escape.

Apollo stepped in front of Starbuck and Celeste, "Who are you? What are you doing with our friends?" he asked the woman.

She opened her mouth a few times before any sound came out. When she spoke, her voice sounded raspy, as though she hadn't used it in a while.

"Questions. Always questions." She hissed, "but I've survived the Monotones for over a year, and I'll survive yet!" She dashed for the door.

Apollo grabbed her, "Wait! We're not going to hurt you! We just want to know what's going on."

Fire flashed in the woman's eyes, "If that were true, you wouldn't be holding guns on me!"

Starbuck and Celeste reluctantly put their blasters away at Apollo's gesture.

The captain looked into the woman's defiant eyes. It seemed he couldn't escape high-spirited women! "We didn't know you were here. We came to find our friends, whose ship crashed." He pointed to Zac and Boomer.

"Why did you tie them up?" Celeste demanded.

The woman glared at Celeste.

Apollo gently asked, "Who are you?"

The mysterious woman frowned at Apollo, "You all land here in my front yard like a bunch of crows and have the _nerve _to ask me who _I _am? You pompous Eastern Alliance _pigs_!"

Apollo and Starbuck exchanged glances. Celeste looked confused, "What's the Eastern Alliance? Pigs? Crows? What are you talking about?"

The woman looked at Celeste as though she'd grown an extra head, "What do you mean, 'what's the Eastern Alliance'? They're the only ones _capable_ of having technology like this…this…warship! Other than the Monotones, and you sure don't look or sound like any of them!"

Celeste snorted. She'd never heard the _Lemonade _called a warship before, and she doubted that it would ever happen again!

"Are you from Terra?" Starbuck asked the woman.

The woman hesitated before nodding.

Apollo sighed, "We're not with the Eastern Alliance. We're travelers, passing through this system. Our ships have to be well armed to defend ourselves from our enemies, the Cylons, who have pursued us across several galaxies."

The woman still regarded them with cold distrust, but she stopped struggling, "What do you know of Terra?" she asked.

"Enough to know you're a long way from home." Apollo answered.

"What's going on?" Zac cried, waking to find his hands and feet bound with some kind of jungle vine. Beside him, Boomer struggled to sit up.

Starbuck and Celeste went to untie them, while Apollo stood, still holding the Terran woman's arm.

"Would someone mind explaining this to us?" Boomer said when he was freed, standing up.

Celeste nodded, "I'm with you, Boomer. What's going on? What's Terra?"

"Terra?" Boomer asked confusedly, "We're on Terra?"

"No." The woman tensed, "But we've got to leave this area. The Monotones may have seen your ship crash, and if they pick up life forms on their sensors, they could be here any minute. Quickly! I'll take you all to my place." She dashed out of the _Lemonade_, followed by Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer, and Zac.

"What's a minute?" Celeste asked, following the four men and the woman, and feeling more than a little left out.

The six humans dashed into the woods.

¤

"My name is Qasha." The woman said. She had led the five Colonials to "her place"; a cabin made of roughly cut logs, and partially covered in vines and moss. The ruggedness of the outside of the house failed to come past the door, however. Inside, the cabin was clean and tidy, with quite a few colorful rugs and wall hangings. Some of the furniture was carefully handmade, while some of it looked like it had been scavenged from some old ship's cabin. Some computer equipment sat against one wall, not looking totally out-of-place as one would expect a computer to look in a log cabin.

Qasha noticed her new companions staring at her décor. "I had some time on my hands," she said by way of explanation.

"You have any other questions?" Qasha asked.

Boomer shook his head, "Who are these 'Monotones' you keep mentioning?"

Qasha looked at Boomer for the first time. Or at least, it seemed like the first time. Her eyes ran over him in an analytical way before she answered, her voice a little softer, "Machines. From somewhere out in space. They have a secret base here, and they captured me once when I went to get salvage from my ship. I got away, and I've tried to avoid them ever since."

"What were they like?" Zac asked.

"Monotonous voices, silvery armor, not altogether bright, but mean."

"Cylons!" Starbuck exclaimed. Zac, Celeste, and Boomer nodded.

"A Cylon base here?" Apollo asked, "We've got to warn the fleet!"

"Just my luck." Zac complained, "Apollo crashes on a weird planet with Boomer and he gets Celeste. I crash on a weird planet with Boomer and I get a Cylon base!"

Qasha watched the five friends with a skeptical eye. She blinked long lashes and spoke again, "It's been along time since I've seen anyone…human." She glanced at Boomer, "Would you all care to introduce yourselves?"

"I'm Apollo from the Battlestar _Galactica_." Apollo answered.

The others followed his lead.

"Starbuck." Starbuck nodded.

"Celeste." Celeste added.

"Zac." Zac said.

"I'm Boomer." Boomer told the woman. She had hardly looked at any of the others as they had introduced themselves.

"Nice necklace." Celeste remarked.

Qasha looked down at her necklace. "My husband made it for me," she said simply, "before he died."

Celeste looked down.

"I'm sorry." Apollo said, his voice genuine.

Everyone was silent for a while.

Qasha finally stood, glanced out the window, and looked at her visitors. "It's getting dark," she stated pointedly.

"Why don't we stay the night?" Zac said, "We can work on the _Lemonade _tomorrow, and we can't all fit in three vipers."

"Someone should go back to the vipers and get the tents and camp equipment." Starbuck suggested. He didn't feel comfortable staying in the strange woman's house.

"I'll go." Celeste said. Before anyone could stop her, she dashed out the door.

"I'll go with her." Zac offered.

Apollo gave him a stern look.

"Or maybe not." Zac sighed, "But someone should."

"I agree." Apollo glanced at Starbuck.

"Okay, I get the hint." Starbuck left, following his sister into the woods.

¤

It was getting very dark. Celeste emerged from Apollo's viper with an armload of supplies. She dumped them unceremoniously to the ground and dug through the pile for a piece of rope. Celeste tied the tents and blankets into a bundle and slung the other sacks over her shoulder. She picked up the bundle and turned around.

A dark figure stood behind her.

Celeste dropped the supplies and drew her blaster, "Don't come any closer!" she shouted.

The figure held up his hands and backed away, "Whoa! Celeste! It's me, it's Starbuck!"

"Starbuck!" Celeste put her gun back in the holster, "Don't sneak up on me!"

Starbuck bent to help her pick up the scattered supplies, "You're kinda edgy this evening."

Celeste shrugged, "What's wrong with being alert? That gal from Terra said there was a Cylon base hidden somewhere around here!"

"You think I look like a Cylon?" Starbuck asked, sounding hurt. She could tell he was kidding, though. Celeste almost smiled, "Nope. Hair's too long."

Starbuck almost smiled. That was the Celeste he knew.

"Uh, you don't happen to remember the way back, do you?" he asked.

Celeste sighed and took the lead, "I don't. But part of me logged it away." _I guess that Cylon part of me is good for something. _

As though Starbuck had heard her thoughts, he said, "Celeste, no matter what you think, to me and the guys, you're all human."

This time Celeste did smile. She stopped and looked back at her big brother's silhouette, "Thanks, Starbuck."

¤

Celeste stepped carefully through the woods. The sounds of gunfire caused her to break into a run. A run. Like there was a whole garrison of Cylon centurions after her. She turned around, and to her astonishment, there _was _a whole garrison of Centurions following her. But she sensed that they weren't _after_ her. Celeste glanced down at her boots. They shone with a polished metallic gleam. Her legs moved stiffly, and the Cylons behind and around her stood out in the night's green darkness as glowing white blurs. Somehow, she was wearing some kind of night vision goggles, and the galaxy's most uncomfortable boots. Celeste was also astonished to find that she clutched a Cylon pulse rifle. She stopped and stared at her hands. Why was she wearing armored gloves?

The Cylons behind her stopped as well. "BY YOUR COMMAND." They all said with one voice.

Celeste realized they were talking to her. She stared at the sea of white glows she saw. It was blinding! The young woman reached up to try to take the night vision goggles off. Her hand clunked metallically off her head.

Impossibly, she felt herself turn back toward the direction of the camp, where she knew her friends slept. Her arm pointed the way, and the garrison of Cylons tromped after her, ready to attack the Colonial spies at her bidding.

If she'd had eyes, tears would have sprouted in them as Celeste tried to fight whatever was making her continue this march. She was leading the Cylons right to her friends! _Stop, _she wanted to yell. She wanted to take the pulse rifle and mow down the Cylons before they could reach her friends. But somehow, she couldn't.

The camp came into view. Horror-filled, Celeste watched as the Cylons began firing their guns at the tents and cabin. She heard Zac cry out, and Boomer. Then she saw Starbuck dash out of his tent and behind a part of the cabin. He popped out to fire on the Cylon forces, but there were too many. She wanted to gasp in horror when she saw him go down, but all she could manage was a static hiss. She rushed to her brother, seeing him lying on the ground. He was still alive, but in pain. Thoughts flashed through her head like memories. Old memories of images she'd worked for yahrens to forget. The terrified faces of humans. Children, teenagers, young adults, grandparents…Right before she killed them.

Starbuck looked up at Celeste, gasping in pain. His eyes were full of anger, "Go ahead and kill me, but you won't get away with this!" he cried.

Celeste's heart breaking, she saw the barrel of her Cylon rifle point toward Starbuck.

_NO _she tried to stop it from happening, _this isn't right! I love Starbuck! He's my brother! _

Celeste's hand moved in spite of her trying to make it stop.

_HE IS A COLONIAL WARRIOR AND A HUMAN. HE IS THE ENEMY. _

Starbuck lay still on the ground.

Filled with horror at what she'd just done, Celeste tried to run. She tried to, but the clunky armor on her legs wouldn't let her. She half jogged, half tripped past a tent. A blaster bolt connected with her boot and she missed a step. Her arrival on the ground afforded her an opportunity to look back and see who had fired at her.

It was Apollo.

He held his blaster, firing at Cylons and trying to avoid the return fire. The Cylons had decided he was a target, and many of them surrounded the tent. More than anything, Celeste wanted to rush to her captain's side, to help him defend himself against this unfair attack. The attack led by her.

Her pulse rifle lifted into the air and fired at Apollo. It seemed that the rifle did whatever it wanted, and her arm was only something attached to it. In the light of the laser blasts, Celeste caught a glimpse of Apollo's face. She knew the look in his eyes. It was a terrible sense of loss and determination.

She saw the stillness of the other tents, the satisfied Cylons emerging from the cabin, and the still form of her brother lying on the cold dirt. And she knew the terrible truth.

Apollo was the only one left.

Anger swelled in Celeste. Anger at herself and at the Cylons. She was their leader, wasn't she? She gave the orders!

"HALT!" she amplified her speakers.

All of the Cylons stopped. With only one word from her mouth, the entire garrison had frozen. For a moment, Celeste reveled in the power she had.

But only a moment, because it was suddenly taken away from her. Control went back to Cylon programming.

"THIS ONE'S MINE TO DEAL WITH." Celeste said, wanting to shudder at the sound of her voice, transformed into the trademark Cylon monotone.

She felt herself stride up to Apollo, lift her blaster. She looked into his eyes. She saw him close them.

_Apollo! No! Not Apollo too! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! _Celeste watched him fall to the ground.

_NO! NO! _

Her whole body shook as she fell to her metallic knees. She had killed the best friends she'd ever had…that she'd ever have…shot them down. It was true.

She was a Cylon.

In the reflection of her shiny boot, she saw her red scanner light moving back and forth…back and forth…whirring…_Cylon. Cylon. Cylon. _

Shaking. The world was shaking as she cried and yelled as loud as she could. No sound came out. Not that there was anyone left alive to hear her. And even the Cylons vanished. All she could hear was the whirring of her scanner, and static. Loud static. Wordlessly, she screamed into the night. _NO! NO!_

The static faded into the sound of rainfall on a tent, and the whirring faded to a distant snore. Celeste opened her eyes and felt wetness on her hand. She heard someone screaming and wondered if they needed help, and if her tent was leaking. She heard someone outside her tent. The haze of sleep tried to conquer her, but she fought it. No way did she want to return to her nightmare.

_Who's screaming? Who's crying? _Celeste wondered, hearing loud sobs and sniffles. Strangely, the sobs seemed to correspond with the movement of her body.

"Celeste! Celeste, are you all right?"

Apollo's voice. She remembered. She had killed him.

"Apollo! Apollo, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Celeste cried, "And Starbuck…poor Starbuck…I tried not to...I didn't want to…"

She heard her tent unzipping. But she didn't care. She had killed them all. And now she was truly alone. It was her fault.

"Starbuck's in bed." Apollo's voice answered, "He's right over there. He's okay."

She felt the warmth of another body in her tent. "Shh," said Apollo's voice, "Shhh, it's okay. Celeste, I'm right here, and so is Starbuck. It was just a nightmare. It's okay." Apollo soothed the sobbing woman.

Celeste tried to take a breath and looked up into the concerned but ever kind face of Apollo.

"Apollo, I love you guys!" she cried, "I'm not a Cylon! I'm not!"

"Of course not!" Apollo exclaimed, a little embarrassed to see his tough, fearless friend in sobbing tears. Whatever she'd dreamed must've been really horrible.

Apollo looked down at the woman. She was still mostly asleep, he could tell. She probably wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. There was a haunted look in her eyes. The look and the tears scared Apollo. This was not like Celeste at all. Sure, she had her tender moments, and he'd seen a tear or two in the short time he'd known her…but nothing like this. She was genuinely terrified of something; and Apollo felt that he wanted nothing more than to protect her from it, to take her into his arms and comfort her.

He held Celeste's trembling hand and spoke soothing words to her until she relaxed and fell asleep again. Apollo looked down at her tear-streaked but now-peaceful face, illuminated by the light of a full moon. With her sparkling blue eyes shut, she looked small and vulnerable. Apollo hoped she wouldn't have any more nightmares. She deserved the best dreams anyone could have.

"Goodnight, Celeste." Apollo said gently. He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her fingers. A little surprised at his act, he turned to go back to bed. He had considered staying by her side all night, in case she had another nightmare, but thought the better of it. Celeste would undoubtedly be very embarrassed about the whole thing in the morning. If she'd wanted him to know about the nightmares, she would have told him.

He took one last look toward her tent before climbing back into his. He shook his head. _I'll never stop learning something new about Lt. Celeste. _

¤

Zac sat straight upright in bed. His blue eyes blinked away the blurriness as he struggled to comprehend the sound he'd just heard. It had sounded like a featherit singing. But what would a featherit be doing in his quarters on the _Galactica_?

He groaned and flopped back into bed when he remembered where he was. He was in a tent on a strange planet, and far from the comfort of home. Funny, how the _Galactica _could seem comfortable when compared to the rugged place he was in now. At least Apollo and his friends were there.

"Hey, Zac, you gonna sleep for another secton or come have breakfast?" Starbuck's voice teased from outside his tent.

Zac smiled, "Depends on who _made_ breakfast!" He pulled on his jacket and crawled out of the small tent. Starbuck stood just outside, looking down at him. Zac stood up, glancing toward Apollo's tent.

"Is Apollo up yet?" Zac asked.

"Yes," came the muffled reply from the tent. Apollo emerged. His uniform looked damp, and his hair was uncharacteristically disheveled.

"What happened to you?" Starbuck asked, "Did you get a leaky tent?"

Apollo looked down at himself and tried to smooth his hair, "I…took a walk last night."  
"In the rain?" Zac looked like his older brother had totally lost it.

The captain nodded, "I think it was raining."

Boomer appeared, stretching and yawning. He saw Apollo, Starbuck, and Zac standing around. "Where's Celeste?" he asked.

"I guess she hasn't gotten up yet." Starbuck said, glancing toward Celeste's tent, "I'll go get her." He strode up to the closed tent flap and knocked on it, "Hey, sleepyhead. Everyone else is up but you!"

When Starbuck's good-natured wake-up call didn't work, he knocked a little harder, "Come on, I know you don't sleep that deeply!"

The wind blew at the little tent, lifting it off the ground and causing it to pull at the ropes that were firmly staked into the ground.

Starbuck's eyes widened, "And I also know that you aren't that light!" He opened the tent flap, revealing his suspicions. Celeste was not inside.

"Apollo!" Starbuck cried, "Celeste's gone!"

Apollo, Zac, and Boomer rushed over.

"What do you mean, gone?" Boomer demanded.

Apollo saw the empty tent and sighed, "She must've been more upset than I thought. Boomer, go ask Qasha if she's seen Celeste. Zac, you check around the area. Starbuck, you and I'll check at the ships. It's possible that she decided to get an early start at repairing the _Lemonade._" Captain Apollo issued the orders and the small group split up to start searching.

"More upset than you thought?" Starbuck asked when he and Apollo had left the camp area.

Apollo glanced sideways at Starbuck, "Did she ever tell you that she has nightmares?"

"No," Starbuck replied, genuinely surprised, "This is the first I've heard of it! Why?"

"She had a really bad one last night." Apollo answered, "She was in tears, and she kept insisting that she was sorry for something and also that she wasn't a Cylon. She mentioned you."

Starbuck frowned, "You think her nightmare might have something to do with her disappearance?"

"I don't know." Apollo sighed, "but it's all I have right now. There was something about her, Starbuck. Something…empty…dark...it was almost like it wasn't her at all…but it was. It worries me."

Starbuck grinned, but there was uncertainty in his eyes, "Celeste's a tough gal, Apollo. She can handle whatever it is and come out on top like she always does."

Apollo smiled sadly back, "You're right." _You have to be. _

The two warriors reached the place where the three vipers and the _Lemonade _sat idle, waiting until they would be called upon to ascend back into the stars.

¤

"Boomer, any luck?" Zac asked, seeing his friend standing in the doorway of the little cabin.

Boomer shook his head, "Qasha hasn't seen Celeste since we all went to bed last night."

"No, she hasn't." Qasha's stony face appeared in the doorway behind Boomer, "But she's going to help you search."

Zac noticed that when the Terran woman spoke, she seemed only to speak to Boomer. He also noticed her hardened expression soften whenever Boomer spoke to _her. _It would seem that Boomer had a secret admirer!

"You are?" Boomer asked, turning to look at Qasha.

The woman's eyes sparkled, and Zac hid a grin.

"No one knows these woods like I do, not even the Monotones." Qasha said forcefully, "And from what I know of your Celeste, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"Well, I won't argue with that." Boomer consented gruffly.

Zac's eyes glinted with mischief, "Okay, why don't you guys continue searching the woods, I'll go see if Starbuck and Apollo have had any success."

Boomer started to protest, but Zac turned and dashed off toward the spot where the ships had been parked.

Without a word, Qasha began walking through the woods, her dark eyes scanning the trees, not missing a detail.

Boomer sighed and followed her.

Zac was nearly to the end of the trees. Just beyond, he knew, were the ships.

Something crackled behind him. Zac stopped and listened. A faint whirring sound gave away the intruder, but not soon enough. Zac turned around just in time to see a Cylon pointing a Colonial blaster pistol at him.

He barely had time to wonder where the Cylon had gotten the blaster before he fell to the ground.

¤

"She's not here!" Starbuck called to Apollo from inside the _Lemonade_'s passenger/cargo hold.

"But she was." Apollo appeared in the hatchway. He was holding a warrior jacket. "I found this hanging on one of the laser guns."

Starbuck took a closer look at the jacket, "Well, it _is_ too hot out here to wear a flight jacket. She must've taken it off while she was fixing this thing."

"But why would she leave?" Apollo asked, concern taking hold of his voice, "If she was fixing the ship, where is she now?"

Starbuck stepped outside of the _Lemonade. _He glanced around, then walked to a laser gun, "Is this where you found it?"

"Yes," Apollo replied.

Starbuck studied the ground under the laser gun, "Aha!"

"What?" Apollo joined him.

Starbuck held up a small metal object. Apollo recognized it as a tool used for hotwiring.

"She was definitely here, and she was busy." Starbuck concluded, "And I have a hunch…" he tossed the tool to Apollo and started climbing up to the primary cockpit.

"A hunch? Starbuck, what are you doing?" Apollo asked his friend.

Starbuck slid into the cockpit and powered up the engines. Apollo stood back as the _Lemonade _slowly rose vertically over the prairie. It settled back down and turned off. Starbuck emerged from the cockpit, a puzzled look on his face.

"Well?" Apollo crossed his arms.

"It works." Starbuck shook his head, "From what Boomer told me last night, the engines wouldn't even power up. Celeste must've gotten out here pretty early to have it working this well already. We could probably fly this thing out of here right now."

"That's great, but how does that help us find Celeste?" Apollo asked.

"I don't know." Starbuck said, "I was hoping it _wouldn't _work, cause that would mean that she might have gone looking for spare parts. But this puts us back at square one."

Apollo sighed, "Well, it was a good idea."

"Too bad it didn't work." Starbuck said, "At least we know where she _was_ this morning."

"It's a start." Apollo agreed, "I think we should go get Boomer and Zac and let them know what we've found out."

"Okay." Starbuck said. He looked at the three vipers, "It doesn't make sense. If she was planning on going somewhere, she'd have taken her viper."

"That's what worries me." Apollo answered, "She may not have been _planning _on leaving."

¤

For the second time that morning, Zac awoke. For the second time in his life, he realized that he'd been captured by the Cylons. His head throbbed from the stun beam the Cylon had used to knock him out. Zac wondered why the Cylon hadn't just killed him. What was up with the Cylons taking prisoners, anyway? Weren't they supposed to kill humans?

Zac was the only occupant of the cell he was sitting in. He looked around for a door, but found none. The walls were smooth and translucent white, like the interior of a milky cylinder. Zac looked up and saw small holes in the ceiling. The Cylons could flood the cell with deadly gas any time they wanted.

Zac sat down. He wondered what the Cylons were planning to do with him, and he wished that Celeste was there to help him. The young woman seemed to have a knack for getting out of tight situations. And she knew more about Cylons than anyone else Zac had ever met. Maybe she would know what this prisoner fetish was all about.

He wondered where Celeste _was_. Maybe she'd been captured, too. Or killed. With her record for Cylon encounters, the Cylons probably would just want to be rid of her. _She can't be dead. She's got to still be alive somewhere, maybe even somewhere close by. She's too clever to just die. And she wouldn't go without a fight. Even so, I hope she's okay. _

_I hope _everyone _is okay! They're probably pretty worried about me! Especially Apollo. Poor guy. He's had a rough couple of sentons. It was only less than two sentons ago that he lost Boxey and Athena, then me and Boomer. The whole Celeste vs. Baltar thing he told me about last night…wow. She's got guts, but that wasn't a good thing. If she hadn't been wearing that vest…and Boomer told me that's how Apollo's wife died, too. What is it with these women that my brother falls in love with? _

Zac smiled, thinking about how he and Celeste led the rescue of the warriors from the Cylon basestar. He'd never forget how she helped him get home, risking her life to save strangers and Starbuck, who she hardly knew. _She's one of a kind. You sure can pick 'em, Apollo. _

Zac thought about his girlfriend back on the _Galactica. _He hadn't really had time to talk to her in the two sectons since he'd returned. His job as a pilot and her job as a bridge officer kept them apart much of the time. He'd missed her like crazy when he'd been on the basestar. He imagined she'd missed him, too. The amazing thing was, she'd waited for him for two yahrens, even after he'd "died". Zac was glad her waiting had paid off. When he got back to the _Galactica_, he'd have to set aside some time to spend with his girl, Rigel. _If_ he got back.

Zac sat alone on a bench in the strange cell. He found it easy to slip back into the habit of sitting in a cell, thinking about his family and Rigel. He wondered if he'd ever see them again.

He didn't know that Celeste was only a few cells down.

¤

"BY YOUR COMMAND." A Cylon centurion clunked into the command room of the secret Cylon base. An IL series Cylon with a silver-and-red checkered cape sat in the chair reserved for the leader of the base. His head tilted as his scanners registered the image of a centurion.

"Report, centurion."

The IL's smooth voice contrasted with the harsh metallic monotone of the centurion. But then, the IL series was _much _more sophisticated than a mere centurion.

"WE HAVE CATPURED TWO OF THE COLONIAL SPIES AS YOU REQUESTED."

"Excellent, but what about the others? We can't have Colonial warriors sneaking around our base here. It would ruin Lord Baltar's plans. Especially if the Colonials are able to warn their battleship of the presence of our base on this planet!"

"THE OTHER COLONIALS CAN BE CAPTURED EASILY."

"Then do it, and prepare for the arrival of a distinguished visitor. Lord Baltar himself is coming to make a personal inspection of this base."

"BY YOUR COMMAND." The centurion left to carry out his orders.

"Soon to be 'By Baltar's Command'." The IL thought out loud. One could even say that the Cylon sounded almost bitter. "I really don't see the intelligence in allowing a human to devise and execute elaborate plots _against_ the humans. I should think a Cylon would be better suited for that job." The IL's servomotors whirred in its transparent head, "Oh, well. Perhaps in time the Imperious Leader will realize the folly of his decision. I only hope it doesn't cost victory for the Cylon Empire."

All around, the Cylon base prepared for the arrival of Baltar.

¤

"Boomer! Any luck?" Starbuck called. He and Apollo had arrived at the campsite just as Boomer and Qasha were returning from a search through the woods.

Boomer shook his head, "We searched all through these woods. We even went to Qasha's crashed cargo ship. But no Celeste." He noticed that one of the warriors was missing, "Hey, where's Zac?"

"I was just about to ask." Apollo replied, "Wasn't he with you two?"

"He was, but he said he went to find you!" Boomer answered.

"We didn't see him." Starbuck said, "he never made it to where we were."

Qasha spoke up, "Monotones." She said that one word as though it explained everything.

"Monotones?" Starbuck repeated, "What do you mean by, 'Monotones'?"

"They captured your friends." Qasha said unemotionally. Her eyes flashed fire, but her voice stayed perfectly calm, "It is the only explanation. The Monotones took them to their base in the canyon."

"Felgercarb!" Starbuck cried.

"Can you show us where this base is?" Apollo asked Qasha.

"Yes," replied Qasha truthfully, "but the Monotones are many, and heavily armed. There are only four of us."

"Four humans against an entire Cylon base?" Starbuck smiled, "I'll take those odds!"

Qasha looked at Boomer, "If we took your ships, we'd get there faster. We can park them a distance from the base so they won't be detected."

"Good idea." Boomer said.

Apollo nodded to Qasha, "Let's go."

¤

A row of milky translucent cylinders lined a hallway. All was quiet, except for a Cylon guard pacing up and down the hallway, its metal boots clanking on the floor.

Suddenly, one of the cylinders emitted a strange sound. It was organic, but it resembled a Cylon alarm. Confused, the Cylon guard froze. It stared stupidly at the cylinder, its scanner oscillating in cybernetic consternation. The strange sound continued, rising in pitch until it exceeded frequencies detectable to the human ear. But the Cylon could still detect it. The sound began repeating itself, dropping in pitch and rising again. The guard walked to the cylindrical cell and unlocked it. The door slid open, and the Cylon flew backward, propelled by a kick from the cell's occupant.

Celeste stepped out of the cell and took the Cylon's pulse rifle, "I'll take that, thank you very much." She hurried out of the cell block and into the darkened corridors beyond. _Whew! For a while, I didn't think that I'd ever get that Cylon's attention! My throat is really sore…but it was worth it. Now to get out of here before the Cylons figure out that I'm gone…_

She tiptoed down the corridor, which led to another room. This room was full of computer equipment. Smiling a little, Celeste checked to see that the coast was clear. She walked to a console, tapped her fingers on the oversize keypad and sent an encoded message to the _Galactica, _warning them that there was a Cylon base nearby.

As soon as the message was sent, Celeste gripped the rifle she carried and dashed out of the computer room. She followed the maze of hallways and corridors through several rooms, sneaking past quite a few Cylons. Finally, she glimpsed light from the red star through a doorway. She ran through it and into the bright light, and onto the floor of a huge canyon carved out by an ancient river, now long gone.

Celeste ran and ran until she was sure she was no longer on the Cylons' security scanners. To her surprise, only moments later, four familiar ships landed just across the canyon from her. Though she was tired, she ran the rest of the way to the ships, where she could see her friends getting out of the cockpits.

"Celeste!" Apollo rushed to her and gave her a big hug.

"Captain!" Celeste joked, "Is it really appropriate to hug a junior officer?"

Starbuck walked up and grinned. Apollo glanced at him before answering, "Only if I really mean it."

Apollo released Celeste and held her at arm's length, "What happened?"

"Well," Celeste said, a touch of avoidance in her voice, "I started whistling this noise that Cylons find annoying, and so the guard got curious and opened the door…"

"I mean this morning." Apollo said, "Where did you go?"

"To work on the _Lemonade._" Celeste looked at the ship in question, "I wanted to get it working so we could get off this hunk of rock. The sooner, the better. I finished it, and next thing I know, I'm sitting in a cell in the center of a Cylon base!" She saw that Boomer and Qasha had joined the group, "Where's Zac?"

"That seems to be the question of the centar." Boomer answered, "We think he was captured by the Cylons."

"What?" Celeste cried, "I just ESCAPED from the Cylons! If I'd have known that he was there, too…! Felgercarb! I just left him in there!" She looked very upset.

"It's okay." Apollo said, "It's not your fault. You didn't know. Besides, we have a plan to get in there and rescue him."

Celeste watched as Boomer and Starbuck headed for the _Lemonade _and opened the back hatch, "You do?"

The two warriors returned, dragging two silvery forms.

Celeste raised her eyebrows, "We drag the Cylons out of their base and gut them?" She noticed that the two centurions were empty of their electronic components. All that was left was the shell of chrome armor.

"We found these two poking around our vipers and blasted them." Starbuck explained, "Then we took them out of their armor."

Qasha stared unblinkingly at Celeste, "We are to use them as disguises to get into the base."

Celeste snorted, "oh, so someone's going to get into a Cylon suit and just walk into the base, get Zac, and walk out?"

"Yep!" Starbuck nodded.

"Huh," Celeste eyed the Cylon armor, "Which one of you gets the honor?" she said sarcastically.

"Well," Boomer looked down, "Qasha agreed to wear one, but neither Apollo, Starbuck, nor I will fit into the other armor…"

Celeste's eyes widened as she caught the implications of his words, "Oh, no. No way." She backed away from the armor as if it was poisonous. Apollo saw genuine fear flash across Celeste's face. He remembered her cries when she'd had that nightmare. He put two and two together.

"Celeste?" Apollo looked questioningly at her, "If you're not comfortable with this, we'll find another way…somehow."

Celeste stared at the armor, then looked away, in the direction she had just run from. She stood straight and took a sharp breath, "No, it'll be fine." She closed her eyes and was unable to suppress a shudder, "Zac needs help _now, _and I can help him."

"Are you sure?" genuine concern tinged Starbuck's voice as he saw the reaction Celeste had to the armor.

Celeste bit her lip and nodded. She tried to grin at Apollo, "The things I do for your family…" She quickly picked up the helmet and pulled it over her head, "How do I look?"

"Weird." Starbuck replied truthfully, "But I think this could work."

¤

Baltar strode through his Cylon base, feeling like he owned the place. In a sense, he did. The Imperious Leader had given him several bases to run and a basestar to chase the Colonials in. Not to mention his gunship, now destroyed by those treacherous Colonial Warriors, Starbuck, Apollo, Boomer, and the new one, Celeste. The men had caused Baltar enough trouble, but once they were joined by Celeste, Baltar's plans had been failing right and left. This only steeled his resolve to stop Lt. Celeste and her friends once and for all!

Especially after they had foiled his most brilliant plan of all, and brought down his Peacemakers. But at least Celeste was no longer a problem. He'd seen her killed on his gunship just before he'd escaped. She wouldn't get in his way anymore.

Now, to deal with the others…

He was curious to know which two Colonials his Cylons had captured. Perhaps they were Starbuck and Apollo! Baltar sneered with anticipation. If it _was _Starbuck and Apollo, he'd torture them until they either betrayed their people or died! Or both. Any of these outcomes would be acceptable.

Baltar finally arrived at the command center of the base. The IL-series leader looked up from a monitor screen. The permanent expression on his face seemed surprised to see Baltar standing cool and confident in his base.

"By your command, Lord Baltar!" the IL said, "We've been expecting you! How did your mission go?"

Baltar frowned slightly, "My plan was not a success, Vikter. I should think you'd have heard about that by now!" But then Baltar smiled, "However, it wasn't a total failure. I did see one of my archenemies defeated and killed."

"I'm sure that gave you great pleasure." Vikter remarked. He seemed to be stalling.

Baltar put his hands on his hips, spreading his green cape over his shoulders, "So, when do I get to interrogate my prisoners?"

Vikter's expression remained the same, as it was impossible for it to change, but his body language seemed to express nervousness, "Er, right away, if you wish, Lord Baltar."

"What's wrong?" Baltar demanded, a suspicious look on his face.

"Well," Vikter said, "nothing's wrong…except that it appears that one of the prisoners has escaped."

Baltar narrowed his eyes, "Well, at least allow me to speak to the _remaining _prisoner!"

"By your command." Vikter waved at two Cylon centurions, signaling them to take Baltar to see the prisoner.

Baltar glared at Vikter, muttered something rude about IL-series Cylons, and stalked off after the two centurions.

¤

Commander Adama stood on the bridge of the _Galactica, _watching the planet spin beneath them as the battlestar sat in orbit around it. Somewhere down there were his best pilots; his sons and their friends. They hadn't been heard from in nearly a full senton.

"Commander." Colonel Tigh approached Adama. "The Peacemakers have agreed to stand trial for their actions on both the _Rising Star _and the _Neptuna._" Tigh reported, "Still no word from Captain Apollo's rescue team."

Adama nodded, "Thank you, Tigh."

Someone burst onto the bridge.

Commander Adama turned to see Chameleon, red faced and panting, standing in the turbolift doorway. The man strode straight to the command platform and looked directly at Adama.

"I demand to know what's going on here!" he said.

Adama frowned, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Commander! Where's Celeste and Starbuck? Someone told me that they were on patrol, but they haven't returned yet! What's happening?" Chameleon cried.

"They went to the planet we are in orbit around to rescue some of our warriors who were trapped there." Adama explained.

"When are they coming back?" Chameleon asked.

"We don't know," replied Adama, "They may have run into difficulties while on the surface."

"Well, can't we send some kind of shuttle to bring them back?" Chameleon asked.

"We've tried," Colonel Tigh broke in, "But every time we do, the Cylons start coming out of nowhere to attack it. It's just too risky."

"Incoming encoded message from the planet, Sir." Athena said from her console.

"I'm going to have to ask that you leave the bridge," Adama looked seriously at Chameleon.

Upset, Chameleon began walking off the bridge. Halfway to the door, he turned, "Commander, that girl is…important to me. Get her home safely." Chameleon left.

"I'll try." Adama sighed, "By Kobal, I'll try." He turned to Athena, "What does this message say?"

Athena typed on her keypad, "Decoding was successful. Transferring message to control platform computer."

Tigh read the message, "Sir! There's a Cylon base on that planet!"

"That would explain the Cylon patrols attacking our shuttlecraft." Adama nodded, "Does it say anything else?"

"Only that the team should be on their way back soon." Tigh answered.

"Good." Adama said, "We must be prepared for their arrival."

"Yes Sir." Tigh answered.

Adama returned to staring at the planet, this time pondering what to do about the Cylon base.

¤

Qasha and Celeste, now fully outfitted with the Cylon armor and pulse rifles, tromped toward the Cylon base. Qasha knew that the base was hidden in the wall of the canyon. She'd followed the Monotones when they had captured her copilot, who also happened to be her husband. She hadn't been able to rescue him, and she was fairly sure that he was no longer alive. Qasha hoped that Zac would be more fortunate. Somehow, she felt that these strange people wouldn't stop until they succeeded in rescuing him. They seemed to be a close-knit bunch, almost a family. She wondered about the woman that walked next to her. Celeste seemed different from the others. She was a part of the group, and yet, there was something that set her apart.

Celeste walked stiffly in the silver armor. The other woman hadn't said a word to her since they left the young men at the ships. Not that Qasha had been very talkative either. Still, it wasn't in Qasha's nature to talk unnecessarily. It seemed very uncharacteristic for one of these mysterious non-Terran pilots to be totally silent.

They reached a cave, the door to the Cylon base.

Qasha whispered into her helmet, "We have arrived." The helmet's comm. was linked to the communicators in the pilots' helmets. That way, Qasha and Celeste could communicate with Apollo, Boomer, and Starbuck. The comm and the scanner light were the only systems that remained in the Cylon armor. All the others were removed to make room for the women to fit inside. However, the voice modulators had been removed, tweaked, and then replaced to change the womens' voices into the trademark monotone that Qasha had named the Cylons for.

Perhaps that was why Celeste didn't speak. Qasha got the feeling that the other woman wasn't comfortable with looking and sounding like a Cylon. Not that Qasha disagreed. Neither one of them had any love for the Cylons.

"Which way are the prison cells?" Qasha asked Celeste in a whisper, so that the voice modulator wouldn't pick it up.

Celeste pointed ahead and marched into the cave, holding her gun like a real Cylon centurion. Qasha followed, emulating Celeste's movements.

The two walked deeper and deeper into the Cylon base. A few centurions glanced at them, but none of them seemed suspicious. They all went about their jobs, mostly paying no attention to Celeste and Qasha.

Suddenly, Celeste stopped, holding up one gloved hand. What little light there was in the hallway glinted off of her armor. She stepped closer to whatever she was looking at, then turned to Qasha and waved her forward. Together, they clomped into what proved to be the control room.

And just to the side of the control room was a glass door.

Celeste strode up to it. Qasha had to admit, Celeste was very good at impersonating one of these Cylons. None of them gave her a second glance. The glass door slid open, and Celeste walked in, followed by Qasha.

Inside, several other centurions held Zac captive, while Baltar and an IL-series droid stood by a comm. unit, apparently making contact with someone.

Baltar gave the two "centurions" a dirty look for interrupting him, but he glanced back at his comm. screen and smiled a big, evil smile.

"Hello, my old friend!" Baltar exclaimed, voice dripping with false friendliness, "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Oh, I think the last time we spoke was…when you so kindly released me from your prison barge."

Celeste stared at Baltar. He was contacting the fleet, probably the _Galactica_!

Baltar continued, "Now down to business. I happen to have one of your warriors here…" Baltar motioned for the Cylons to bring Zac over so that he could be seen by the person on the other end of the comm., "and I know there are others within my power to capture."

Celeste could barely hear the response from the comm. It was Commander Adama, and he didn't sound happy.

"Oh, really, Adama. I'm surprised you cling to the illusion that your human warriors are better at escaping than my Cylons are at capturing." Baltar chuckled, "Especially after I disposed of that 'invincible' Lt. Celeste. Your other warriors will be as simple to get rid of. Unless we can come to some kind of agreement."

After listening to Adama's response, Baltar's eyes took on a brilliant dark gleam, "I could kill any one of these warriors, as I have my best centurions capturing the rest of them as we speak! You will either have to bend to my pressure, or say goodbye to my hostages. I'm transferring my...terms of our agreement right now."

Celeste almost shook her head, then remembered the Cylon helmet. She couldn't imagine Adama agreeing to _anything _with Baltar. At least he wouldn't have to. The "invincible" Lt. Celeste, whom Baltar thought was dead, was on a mission that she would not allow to fail. No matter what. Who knew what Baltar was demanding!

Baltar concluded his communication to the _Galactica_. "Guards! Take him back to his cell!" he ordered.

"BY YOUR COMMAND." The two Cylons holding Zac began to haul him off. Zac hung limp. Suddenly, he kicked one Cylon's leg out from under it, pushing the other Cylon away. He turned around and grabbed the gun from the one he pushed away and dashed out the door, firing at Celeste and Qasha, but thankfully missing them.

Baltar turned with rage to the disguised humans, "What are you waiting for? AFTER HIM!"

"BY YOUR COMMAND." Qasha said as she and Celeste started running clumsily after Zac. The Cylon armor slowed them down some.

But Zac didn't know his way out. He ran blindly down corridors. Celeste and Qasha followed him doggedly, only getting a few glances from Cylons as they passed them.

Zac found himself in a dead end. He held up his gun and fired at the girls.

Qasha stopped and pulled off her helmet before he hurt one of them, "Don't fire! We're not really Mono…Cylons!"

Zac stopped. Relief flooded through his face, "Great! Let's get out of here!"

Qasha nodded and put her helmet back on, "THIS WAY." She and Celeste grabbed Zac and "escorted" him back through the base toward the entrance.

Suddenly, a _real _Cylon centurion blocked their way. "PRISONERS ARE NOT PERMITTED HERE."

Qasha and Celeste halted.

"WHERE ARE YOU TAKING THIS PRISONER?" the real Cylon demanded.

"WE HAVE ORDERS TO TAKE THIS PRISONER OUTSIDE." Qasha replied.

"WHOSE ORDERS?" the Cylon asked.

Qasha didn't know Baltar's name. She was silent.

"OUR ORDERS COME STRAIGHT FROM BALTAR." Celeste spoke up.

Qasha could almost feel the other woman wincing at her voice.

The Cylon seemed to think about this for a moment. Then it seemed to glare at them, "NO SUCH ORDERS WERE ISSUED. YOU ARE MALFUNCTIONING UNITS. RELENQUISH CUSTODY OF THE PRISONER. OTHER UNITS WILL ESCORT THE PRISONER BACK TO HIS CELL."

"NOT IF I CAN HELP IT." Celeste shot a hole through the real Cylon with her pulse rifle. Zac grabbed the Cylon's gun and spun around to help Celeste and Qasha fight off the other real Cylons, who were now taking a lot of interest in the trio.

"MALFUNCTIONING UNITS. SURRENDER YOUR WEAPONS AND REPORT TO THE REPAIR STATION IMMEDIATELY." A real Cylon ordered. It was holding a Colonial blaster as well as a Cylon gun.

"That's the one that stole my blaster!" Celeste whispered to Qasha.

"REPORT TO THE REPAIR STATION IMMEDIATELY." The Cylon repeated. Other Cylons had their guns pointed at Celeste, Qasha, and Zac.

"I THINK NOT." Celeste said as she and her companions simultaneously opened fire on the Cylons, clearing a path to the exit. They ran for the door to the last chamber, firing as they went. As soon as they were inside, Qasha sealed the door and tore off the hard-to-see-through helmet.

Celeste took off her helmet, too, "We made it! Once we get into the cave, all we have to do is walk out of here!"

"We're almost out. Meet us outside the cave." Qasha said into her comm.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Boomer's voice replied. Qasha did a rare thing. She smiled.

"Uh, we may have a problem," Celeste said. She was at the door control to get into the cave. It wasn't opening.

Zac rushed over, "Let's see…" He joined Celeste in fiddling with the door control.

The door to the rest of the Cylon base was groaning and starting to slide. "Hurry, you two!" Qasha cried, "They'll be in here in a few seconds!"

"Whatever a second is," Zac groaned, "I hope it's longer than a micron, cause this door is really jammed!"

"Security mechanism." Celeste grumbled, "When they found out something was wrong, the Cylons put the base into complete lockdown."

"I wish they'd have 'locked down' this door!" Qasha growled. The door slid open a crack. A bolt of laser fire slipped through. "Hurry!" the woman stood against the door, holding her rifle ready.

"Almost there!" Zac called.

The room exploded in laser fire. Celeste whirled to retaliate, leaving Zac to work the door controls. Cylons burst into the room. Some fell as Celeste and Qasha fired at them. Celeste shielded Zac with her body and her blaster, and Qasha dove behind a computer terminal, still firing.

"HUMANS IN DISGUISE!" said one surprised Cylon just prior to falling into a smoking heap of metal.

The door to the cave finally slid open.

"GO!" Celeste shouted to Zac, shoving him out. She followed him, but tried to clear a path with her gunfire for Qasha to escape. There was a moment when the laser bolts weren't as thick, and Qasha made a run for it. The three warriors dashed out into the cave without taking the unavailable time to close the door. Beyond the mouth of the cave, they could see the _Lemonade _landing.

Behind them, the Cylons began pouring into the cave. The three humans didn't waste any time taking off running again.

Zac, because he wasn't weighed down with Cylon armor, was the first to reach the _Lemonade. _He climbed into the secondary cockpit and powered up the laser cannons. From his vantage point, he fired on the Cylons as they came out of the cave.

Celeste and Qasha dashed for the _Lemonade. _

Celeste tripped over her bulky Cylon boots. "Frack!" she cried, hitting the ground. Qasha stopped to help her up, and cried out in pain as Cylon gunfire grazed her leg. Celeste and Qasha stood up and leaned on each other, trying to reach the _Lemonade. _Both took hits, despite Zac's blasting at the Cylons. Some of them got through.

From the main cockpit, Boomer opened the rear hatch. Qasha and Celeste stumbled inside. "We're in!" Celeste said into her comm. The hatch started closing.

And one Cylon fired into the closing gap between the hatch and the rest of the ship. Someone cried out, and smoke puffed from the back of the _Lemonade. _

Boomer lifted off, leaving the Cylons to stand on the ground and watch them leave. A green-clad human figure emerged from the cave, looked up, and shook his fist at the departing multicolored ship.

But there wasn't anything immediate that he could do.

¤

Cylon raiders launched in groups of three and began to attack the _Lemonade. _

"I can't handle them all at once!" Zac cried, struggling to hit the grey ships with the _Lemonade_'s modified laser cannons.

Apollo's voice came over the comm., "You won't have to."

Zac cheered as two Viper fighters rose up beside his cockpit. Starbuck and Apollo stayed near to the multicolored vessel. The combined firepower of the three ships started to make a dent in the Cylon attack force.

"Boomer, you and Zac go get the other Viper," Apollo ordered, "We'll cover you."

Starbuck flew through the remains of the Cylon fighter he'd just disintegrated, "Sure seems different to be doing this within the atmosphere of a planet," he remarked.

"As soon as you get back, we'll head home." Apollo told Boomer and Zac.

The _Lemonade _streaked off toward the place where the third Viper waited.

Starbuck added, "Sounds good to me!"

He and Apollo wreaked havoc with the Cylon forces. They expertly attacked and defended, preventing the Cylons from pursuing the _Lemonade. _ By the time the super-viper returned, followed by Zac in the third Viper, most of the Cylon raiders were destroyed, and the rest were retreating.

"Let's go home." Apollo said.

"Right behind you, Captain." Boomer replied.

¤

"What's it going to take to convince you, Apollo?" Celeste was once again in the life center. Apollo and Starbuck had come to visit her. She had just been treated, and Apollo was, as usual, very concerned about her. She counted on her fingers, "I told you, Cassie told you, the entire medical staff of the _Galactica_ told you! I'm fine!" Celeste hopped from one foot to the other to demonstrate, trying to hide a wince.

Apollo shook his head, "With both you and Starbuck as friends, you can't blame a guy for being careful. I still can't believe you got shot in the leg only sectons after _he_ did."

"Ankle." Celeste corrected, "It was my ankle. How that Cylon managed to sneak that laser through the closing door and still hit me is mystifying."

Starbuck raised his eyebrows, "How many times you've survived being shot by Cylons mystifies _me._"

Celeste sighed sarcastically, "I'm just lucky, I guess. At least this time it wasn't so bad. Cassie said I could leave as soon as I thought I was ready." Celeste took a few steps toward the door. Her leg suddenly found no support from her foot, and she would have fallen if Apollo hadn't been right there to catch her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Apollo asked for what had to be the millionth time.

The young woman rolled her eyes, "Apoll-o."

Apollo held up his hands when he was sure she'd regained her balance, "I know, I know, you're fine. But are you 'fine' enough to go back on duty?"

"Unlike walking," Celeste pointed out, "Flying a Viper doesn't require the use of my ankles."

Apollo glanced at Starbuck for help.

"Don't look at me, I think she has a point!" Starbuck shrugged, "I might even use that argument myself sometime!"

Celeste fixed her determined, mischievous gaze on Apollo, "How many times can you say 'no'?"

Now _Apollo _thought that she had a point. As many times as he'd try to keep her safely on the _Galactica, _she'd come up with twice as many ways to get around it. She was stubborn, dedicated, and intelligent. Once she set her mind on a goal, the entire Cylon Empire couldn't stop her from achieving it.

Apollo looked into her eyes, lost in thought. _That's who she is. And those are all reasons why I like her. Her fire, her dedication, her bravery; those are all reasons I…love her. Sure, she can be hotheaded and impulsive, sometimes to the point of utter recklessness. But she has strong values and she believes in the causes she fights for. Celeste would never hesitate to help a friend in need, no matter what it took. No matter what the consequences were. _

_Celeste is strong, but also vulnerable. As invincible as she acts, she's just as mortal as the rest of us. That's what scares me. She doesn't seem to take death seriously. She and Starbuck share that trait. If I lost her, I don't know what I'd do. _

Apollo smiled at her bright blue eyes, feeling so very lucky to have her standing in front of him, alive and feisty as ever. He reached out and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders, "Okay," he said, "you're right. But from now on, you are to follow my orders, or else I'll have to turn you over to Colonel Tigh."

Celeste smiled back, "Yes sir!"

She studied the face of her captain, but found no trace of sadness or regret. For once, he was looking at her without thinking about his late wife. Celeste knew Serina was never far from his mind, and that she always would be part of him. But somehow it bothered her to be compared to the other woman, to be held in check just because of events that happened yahrens before Celeste had even _met_ Apollo.

_I can never live up to a ghost. _Celeste thought, _But…maybe I won't have to. _

She gazed at her handsome friend, memorizing every detail of his face: the sweep of his dark hair, the sparkle in his eyes. And the feeling of friendship she knew when he was near.

Neither Celeste nor Apollo noticed Starbuck's exit. They were lost in each other, sharing a fleeting moment that lasted lifetimes.

Celeste suddenly looked down, breaking the spell.

"What's wrong?" Apollo asked her, genuine concern filling his voice, "It seems like every time we get a moment together, you suddenly glance at the floor with a sad look on your face. What am I doing wrong?"

"It's not you," Celeste sighed, "Apollo, there's something…something you should know about me. I…I had a relationship once. But it didn't turn out so well."

Apollo's eyes widened, "Did he break up with you?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Not exactly," Celeste flashed a wry look at the floor, "Seti left me for dead during a Cylon ambush. _Then _he dumped me. Course, this was _before_ I found out that he had a wife. Turned out that he'd been leading me on the whole time. When his wife found out, _she _dumped _him _and split for Caprica. So with her out of the picture," Celeste shrugged heavily, "Seti came back to haunt me. Until he was shot down during an attack on Taurus, he thought it was his life's mission to make my life miserable. He said it was because I drove his wife away."

"That's terrible!" Apollo exclaimed.

"Yeah, so that's why I don't always…trust people." Celeste said, her voice barely more than a whisper, "that was a long time ago, but…it still hurts."

Apollo started to hug the woman, but hesitated. She might not feel comfortable hugging him _twice _in the same senton.

Celeste didn't resist, however. Instead, she finished the embrace that Apollo had begun. He felt her relax as he wrapped his arms around her. The emotional wall she'd built around herself seemed to be starting to crumble.

Apollo closed his eyes, thinking of the few tender moments he'd shared with her. There was the talk in the secondary maintenance bay, the talk in the shuttle during the "hero reception", and the other various few microns when there was a warmth between them that was unparalleled by any other moments with her. Apollo thought about what she'd just told him.

_Don't worry, _Apollo thought, _I won't let anyone hurt you that way again. I promise. _

He and Celeste stood holding each other for longer than either of them could quite believe. Both discovered feelings that had been there all along, nagging at the two to acknowledge them.

Celeste had never felt so safe in her life as when Apollo's strong arms were around her, holding her close. She closed her eyes, thinking about her nightmare. It had been horrible. But somehow, it had helped. When she had needed to "become" a Cylon to save Zac, the entire experience hadn't seemed as bad as the nightmare. It had turned out better, too. Her friends were still alive.

How different Apollo was from the other men she'd been around. Celeste felt in her heart that he would never betray her as Seti had. He was safe. She could trust him. And in return for his friendship, she'd had him worried the entire time whether or not she would live to see another day.

_I've got to stop. Stop running from my past. Stop trying to prove something to myself. Apollo cares about me because I'm _me, _not because I'm some big hero. He hasn't even tried to thank me! _Celeste smiled, adding an ironic thought, _and for that, I am very thankful! _She snorted.

"What's so funny?" Apollo pulled back, favoring her with a smile that inexplicably turned her insides into mushies.

She tried to think of an answer, "Just a joke I thought of." Celeste grinned, "How many warriors does it take to escape from a Cylon base?"

"How many?" Apollo asked.

Celeste grinned even more, "All of them!" she said brightly.

Apollo groaned good-naturedly, "Better stick to your day job," he told her.

"Gladly!" Celeste replied, starting to limp toward the door.

Apollo caught her arm, "But not until you can walk."

Celeste sighed and plopped back down onto the bed, "I guess it _would _look a little strange for me to be carried to my viper."

Apollo was surprised that she had agreed so quickly, "I think so." He sat down next to her.

The young woman looked around at the familiar surroundings, "But what am I going to _do_?"

"I could send people in here to visit you." Apollo replied.

"Oh great," Celeste groaned, "send them in here and they'll thank me!"

"It's a possibility." Apollo said, "but you should probably get used to it if you're going to go around saving people all the time."

Celeste made a face, "I guess I could stand a few at a time. But don't let a whole ship-full get in or I'll have to take drastic measures."

Shaking his head, Apollo smiled, "I don't even want to know what you mean by 'drastic measures'."

A small smile started at the edges of Celeste's mouth, "No, you probably don't."

Apollo checked his timepiece and stood up, "I wish I could stay longer, but I've got a meeting with Colonel Tigh in fifteen centons." Apollo saw the disappointment in Celeste's eyes. Part of him was sad that he'd caused it; but at least she liked spending time with him. "If you'd like, I can tell the Colonel to reschedule for a time after you get out."

"No," Celeste shook her head, "That's okay. You keep the colonel happy. I'll be fine. After all, I've got Qasha to talk to." She gestured over to a bed across the room, where the woman sat quietly reading a ship manual, her dark, curly hair tied back in an attempt to tame it.

Apollo glanced at the quiet woman from Terra. Even when she was sitting down, she had a calm power about her that was as mysterious as it was intimidating. One thing he'd learned about Qasha, however, was that she didn't do much talking. He raised his eyebrows at Celeste.

"What?" Celeste asked innocently, "I'm up for a challenge."

Apollo shook his head and smiled, "Whatever you say. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Celeste watched him go, glanced at the quiet Qasha, sighed, and flopped back onto the bed.


	3. Part 3

¤

Celeste smiled in her sleep. She was finally able to sleep without having a nightmare, and it was such a peaceful feeling. _I wonder if this is the way most people feel when they're asleep. _Celeste thought drowsily. She turned over and smiled again, relaxing into her pillow. She heard a sound like deep breathing right over her head.

Her eyes flew open and she looked up to see…Commander Adama? What is he doing in her dream? Or maybe this wasn't a dream.

"Commander!" Celeste sat up, attempting to straighten her wrinkled uniform.

Commander Adama smiled at her, "Apollo told me I'd find you here."

Celeste raised her eyebrows. _Yes, but why would you want to? I'm not exactly fit for any kind of duty right now. _

The commander looked down, seeming to be collecting his thoughts.

Celeste looked curiously at him.

"Baltar mentioned to me that he had killed you." Adama said finally.

Celeste smiled a little to herself, "He didn't know about the pulse-proof vest!" She shook her head, "I didn't realize it. The whole time I was sneaking Zac right under his nose, he thought I was no longer a problem!"

Now Adama raised his eyebrows, "You were doing what?"

"It's, er, a long story." Celeste said.

"Mmm." Adama nodded, "I'd very much like to hear it sometime. Right now, I just wanted to let you know that I am very glad that you are still alive."

"You and me both." Celeste sighed.

"Well," the commander straightened up, "unfortunately I must go. Take care of that foot, Lieutenant." Adama left.

Celeste stared after him. _What was that all about? Why is everyone acting so weird…including me? _She shook her head, "If somebody wants to explain anything to me, feel free to speak up." Celeste muttered, "Cause you've all got me stumped." She lay comfortably on her bed, her arm propping her head up as she looked around. It was late in the shift, and most of the activity was slowing down as the doctors and med-techs prepared to hand their jobs over to the next shift and get some well-deserved rest. Nearby, Qasha sat braiding her hair into a multitude of tiny braids that started at the top of her head and came down the sides and back in neat little rows that reminded Celeste of the gardens on the agro-ships. Distractedly, Celeste fingered her own blonde hair. It was cut short so she wouldn't have to spend a lot of time caring for it. There were more important things to spend time on when you were a fighter pilot in the _Galactica_'s strike wing.

_I wonder what Qasha's going to do now that she's back with people. _Celeste mused, _She mentioned that she was a freighter pilot, maybe she could help with one of the fleet ships. Though I have the funniest feeling she won't want to be too far away from Boomer! _Celeste nearly snorted with laughter, but caught herself, _Poor Boomer. He's not used to that kind of attention! _

Qasha suddenly turned and looked Celeste in the eye, "What?" she demanded.

"Hmm?" Celeste blinked innocently, "Nothing!"

"Okay." Qasha nodded.

Celeste wasn't used to her innocent looks actually _working. Does Qasha take everything literally? I'll have to be careful with the sarcasm around _her!

Celeste was about to roll over and see what was happening on the other side of the room when she noticed with some surprise that the woman from Terra wasn't done talking.

Something lurked within Qasha's dark eyes that looked suspiciously like curiosity as she opened her mouth again to speak, "Many things have been explained to me, many more things I have read," she held up one of the electronic books she'd read earlier, "but there are some things I still do not understand. One of them is you."

Celeste nodded, "Well, you're not alone. Very few people understand me."

"I want to." Qasha said.

Celeste nearly smiled at the other woman's directness. She decided that she liked a person who could get to the point and say exactly what she was thinking. "Why?" Celeste asked.

Qasha was silent a while, then she spoke again, "Because I sense something in you. Something dark. I feel that many terrible things have happened to you. We have a connection that way, Lieutenant. I, too, have lived a hard life."

Celeste looked down, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes with her eyelashes, "I don't think anyone in this fleet has had it easy, Qasha."

"You and I are different from the others." Qasha said calmly.

Celeste nodded, still not meeting the other woman's gaze, "Yeah. We are."

Qasha limped gracefully to the bed nearest to Celeste's, "I would be willing to share my story in exchange for hearing yours."

"Are you sure?" Celeste had gotten the impression that Qasha was a very private person, "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. Almost everyone in the fleet knows my story in some form or another." Celeste waved her arm, "It's not exactly a secret."

The edges of Qasha's mouth turned up a little, "It's been a long time since I had anyone to talk to. Of all the people I've met, there are few here I feel as comfortable with as I do with you. And I feel we have much to learn from each other."

"Ok." Celeste answered, "then I guess I'll start at the beginning."

Qasha leaned forward with what appeared to be slight interest, but what Celeste knew was, for the reserved Terran woman, near excitement.

Celeste began, "I was born on the planet Caprica, in a city called Umbra…"

¤

"I'm sorry, but I really need to get to that meeting." Apollo said, "You'll have to ask Starbuck or Boomer to tell you about it." Jolly and Greenbean had intercepted him in the hallway, wanting to hear all about the adventure on the mysterious planet.

Jolly looked disappointed, "Okay, Captain. Some other time."

"Where _are _Boomer and Starbuck?" Greenbean asked.

"I don't know," Apollo answered, "but you might try the Officer's Club."

"Good thinking! Let's go!" Jolly exclaimed, dragging Greenbean off.

"You just want that drink I owe you!" Greenbean protested as they left.

Apollo shook his head and continued on to the meeting with the Colonel.

But to his surprise, not only was Colonel Tigh there, but so were Athena, Starbuck, Zac, and Boomer!

"What's going on?" Apollo asked, taking a seat at the council table. He had wondered why Tigh wanted to meet at the meeting hall, now he knew why.

"Apollo, good. Now that you're here, we can get started." Tigh said. Noticing the surprise in Apollo's face, he frowned, "I'm sorry, I must've forgotten to mention that they'd be here."

"No, that's all right," Apollo said, sitting down, "I'm just a little confused as to what this meeting is about."

Tigh replied, "As you probably already know, warrior morale has been steadily decreasing lately."

"Everyone's been having trouble adjusting to those of us who were 'resurrected'." Zac sighed.

"Exactly." Tigh answered, "The only thing that seems to keep them going is the stories of Lt. Celeste's…adventures."

Athena added, "It's not just the warriors. My First Learning class hangs on every word they hear about her. To them, she's a legend."

"It's almost funny how oblivious she is to it." Starbuck shook his head, "If it were me…I don't think I'd be that modest about it!"

"You aren't." Zac teased.

"Celeste doesn't see herself the way we do," Apollo explained, "To her, the things she does are normal. She expects it of herself."

"No matter how the Lieutenant sees herself, the warriors, the children, and the fleet all see her as a hero." Tigh said dryly, "and many of them have requested that she appear on broadcasting again, or make visits to the ships."

"She'll love that." Starbuck remarked sarcastically.

"Starbuck's right," Apollo nodded, "I can't see her agreeing to do anything that public and self-promoting."

Boomer agreed. "Not without some form of trickery, bribery, or persuasion," he said.

"Or unless someone's life depended on it. I mean, she _did _'become' a Cylon to save me," Zac reminded them, "and that seems far more unlikely than appearing on a talk show."

"You may be on to something, Zac." Starbuck mused.

"Starbuck, convincing Celeste to appear publicly by telling her that someone will die if she doesn't?" Athena groaned, "She's not going to fall for that!"

"Plus it's wrong." Apollo added, "Besides, I'm sure there's another way to convince her to go along with this."

Everyone sat in silence for a while.

"Any ideas?" Tigh finally asked.

"No."

"No."

"Nope."

"I've got nothing."

Athena looked thoughtful as the young men all expressed their lack of solutions to the problem.

"Athena?" Tigh asked, "What about you?"

"Actually…" she answered, "One of my students came up with an idea."

"Let's hear it!" Boomer said, "since it's all we've got."

"In that case, you should hear it from her." Athena smiled. She stood, went to a comm. panel on the wall, and dialed a number. "Hello, Nausicaa? It's Miss Athena. Would you ask your mom if you can come see me at the meeting hall?"

A little girl's voice answered, "Sure!"

"Thank you." Athena answered with a smile.

There was a pause. Then the girl's voice returned, "She said I could, so I'll be there in a micron!"

"Okay, I'll see you soon. Athena out." Athena answered, ending the transmission.

It wasn't long before the turbolift doors opened and a small girl hopped out, her long, straight blonde hair swishing behind her like the tail of a comet. She walked right to Athena and hugged her legs, then smiled up at her, "Hi, Miss Athena!" The girl turned and took in the four pilots and the Colonel. "Wow, this must be an important meeting!" She stared with round eyes at the man in the blue bridge uniform, "Hi, Colonel Tigh! I want to be a pilot when I grow up. Then maybe a colonel like you when I get even _older_!"

Tigh looked uncomfortable as Zac, Starbuck, Athena, Apollo, and Boomer tried to hide grins of mirth. The Colonel cleared his throat, "Really? How…nice."

"Yeah," the girl grinned, "So what do you want me to do?"

Athena bent down, "I want you to tell them what you told me in class the other day, Nausicaa."

Nausicaa looked confused. She whispered loudly in Athena's ear, "You want me to tell them that I need to use the turboflush?"

Zac snorted. Athena gave him an "I heard that" look and turned back to the little girl, "No, I want you to tell them your idea for Miss Celeste. The one you told us when we were discussing the orphan ship."

"Oh! Okay!" Nausicaa beamed. She turned to the men and, in a fair impression of the Commander, looked around the table at each man. Her expression went serious as she stood as tall as she could and said in a low voice, "I think we should give Miss Celeste a party."

"Didn't we try that?" Starbuck asked, looking at Athena.

"Go on, Nausicaa," Athena said instead of answering Starbuck, and trying to keep a straight face.

"Because she's an orphan, and she doesn't know when her birthday is, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't have a birthday party." Nausicaa explained, "And the other orphans, too! All of them! It's not fair that they don't have parties! And presents, and mushies, and games, and invite lots of friends!"

"I see you've put a lot of thought into this," Colonel Tigh said to the little girl.

Apollo nodded, "I think it sounds like a great idea."

"Yes, but will Celeste agree with you?" Boomer asked.

"That," Tigh agreed, "Is the question of the senton." He stood up, "I'll run this idea past the commander and see what he thinks. I have a feeling that he will approve." Tigh looked down at the little girl, "Thank you for sharing this idea with us."

"You're very welcome Mr. Colonel Tigh." Nausicaa said politely.

Tigh smiled a little, "Meeting dismissed!"

¤

Zac left the meeting eagerly, eliciting some knowing looks from his friends as he practically raced to the turbolift. He couldn't help it. He was excited.

Smiling to himself, he tapped his fingers on the control panel, waiting for the lift to arrive at the right floor. It seemed an eternity before it finally did arrive. Zac strode quickly out of the lift and headed for the bridge. That's when he noticed how nervous he was.

He stopped. _It's been a long time since she and I have had time to really talk. _Zac thought, _And we're not academy kids anymore. I know I've changed a lot…has she? _

Gulping, he walked through the bridge doorway. _I don't care. I have to see her again. _

He glanced around the room. His father was at his usual place on the rotating platform in the center of the bridge. Bridge officers went about their jobs. And sitting at one of the consoles was the flight corporal he'd pined for while he was captured.

Rigel.

She looked gorgeous with her long brown hair cascading down her back, with sections done up in long braids and wrapped around her head. She spoke clearly and calmly into her headset, as always. He admired the nearly unflappable manner in which she carried out her duties. It took a lot for her to break her confident façade.

_She'd have made a great pilot, _Zac thought, _but she loves her job here on the bridge, and she's good at it. _

Commander Adama noticed his son's entrance and subsequent hesitation. He smiled, "Zac, what brings you up to the bridge?"

"Uh," Zac glanced at Rigel, "well…" Her back was turned to him, and she was busy talking to someone on the comm. Zac took a breath, "Actually I wanted to talk to Rigel."

Adama nodded, still smiling, "I see." He turned to Rigel's station. The young woman was just finishing her call.

"Flight Corporal Rigel?" Adama addressed her.

Rigel looked up, "Yes, sir?"

"There is someone here to see you." Adama spoke softer.

Rigel looked up, saw Zac, grinned, and started to remove her headset, but hesitated, "My station…"

Athena walked in, "I'll take over for you, Rigel. I owe you one." She looked up at Adama, "If that's all right with you, Father?"

Adama nodded, "Go ahead."

Rigel handed Athena her headset, "Thank you!" She went to Zac's side. Zac smiled nervously down at her. She smiled back.

"Let's go to the observation lounge and catch up," she suggested.

Zac smiled again, this time much less nervously, "That sounds like a great idea!"

Later, they were seated at a table, chatting easily about recent events. Rigel stirred her pink foamy drink with her straw, laughing and commenting as Zac recounted the latest adventure to her. He was talking, but he had no clue what he was saying. He was too busy watching Rigel, her eyes dancing and her smile warming the entire lounge. She was the same girl he'd gone to Academy with, the same girl he'd been taken away from. But she was also a bit more mature, and she had a wonderful aura of confidence about her that seemed to extend in all directions out into space. And she seemed to care about him just as much, if not more than, when they had been separated.

When he was finished with the tale, there was a moment of silence as they both sipped their drinks. Then Rigel reached across the small table and took hold of Zac's hands with her petite ones. She smiled a little sadly at him, something inside of her lighting her face.

"I've missed you, Zac." She said simply.

But to Zac, it wasn't simple at all.

Suddenly he had an idea what his brother was going through. A glimpse into an unfamiliar world, but not an unpleasant one. He suddenly knew that somehow, in the past two yahrens, his relationship with Rigel had moved beyond friendship, and even dating.

He knew without a doubt that he was in love.

"So let's spend some more time together soon," she smiled, "I've got to get back to work, but how's tomorrow for you?"

"Great." Zac sighed dreamily, "it's perfect."

Rigel smiled in a slightly confused way, "All right, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay." Zac said. It was all he could come up with to say. _Too bad Starbuck's and Celeste's witty comebacks didn't rub off on me. _Zac thought, watching Rigel head for the turbolift. _Oh, well. It's probably a good thing that they didn't._

Zac sighed into his empty glass. Tomorrow seemed a long way off.

¤

Starbuck jogged down the hallway, "Apollo! Wait up!"

Apollo stopped as his friend caught up with him, "Where's the fire?"

"No fire," Starbuck grinned, "It's just that I've got some news from Colonel Tigh!"

"What did he say?" Apollo asked, guessing correctly that it was news about the birthday party plans.

"Well," Starbuck replied, "the commander approved our party plans. He's already contacted several of the fleet ship pilots. And guess what?"

Apollo waited expectantly.

Starbuck's eyes twinkled, "We've been offered the upper decks of the _Rising Star _for the whole senton! Everyone's excited about a way to help the orphans!"

Apollo smiled, "That's great! Those kids will love it! Have they contacted the orphan ship yet?"

"Well, not yet." Starbuck admitted, "But they will as soon as we get the…uh…details finalized."

Apollo shook his head, "The _Rising Star, _huh? Wow. I can't believe they'd just let us use the upper decks for an entire senton, free of charge. Even for such a good cause, that's amazing."

"Well…" Starbuck responded hesitantly.

"What?" Apollo asked.

Starbuck winced.

"Starbuck…" Apollo said warningly.

Starbuck sighed, "There is a _small _catch."

Apollo crossed his arms, "What is it?"

"Uh."

Apollo gave him an "I'm waiting" look.

"They want Celeste to give them a speech." Starbuck blurted out.

"Oh," Apollo answered, "any idea what they want to hear her talk about?"

"Um," Starbuck shifted his feet, "It's kind of funny, actually. All this time they wouldn't listen, and now they're begging for it, and I don't think they know what they're asking for…"

"What, Starbuck?" Apollo prodded.

"Cylons."

"_Cylons_?"

"Yeah…"

"You're sure?"

"Yep." Starbuck nodded, "They were very specific."

Apollo sighed, "You're right. They _don't _know what they're asking for. Any idea when they want this to happen?"

"Tonight." Starbuck coughed.

"Tonight!" Apollo exclaimed, "They want _Celeste _to give them a speech on _Cylons_…_tonight_?"

Starbuck nodded again.

"Starbuck, she's still in the Life Center!" Apollo cried, "She can't even walk, let alone give a speech!"

"Hey, I'm just the messenger!" Starbuck defended, "I'm not the one that came up with this request!"

"I'm sorry," Apollo said, a little more calmly, "but I can't ask her to do that. Not now, and not on that subject!"

"You're going to have to," Starbuck answered, "The Council already said that you would."

"The Council of Twelve is involved now?" Apollo asked, "Oh, great. That's all we need!"

"'Fraid so." Starbuck replied, "They found out, and thought it was such a great idea, that they wanted to 'help out'."

"Meaning that if we don't do things their way," Apollo reasoned, "They're going to make life difficult for us."

"Right." Starbuck agreed, "Let me tell you, if the fleet didn't need this party so bad, I'd call a permanent rain check!"

"So would I." Apollo sighed heavily, "I don't like this, and neither will she." He stared at a wall, "It's not fair. She's already done so much for the fleet, and then they ask _this_ of her…but there's not much choice now." Apollo looked at Starbuck, "Well, do you want to come see your sister? I may need some backup."

"Can't," Starbuck answered, "I've got patrol with Boomer in…" he checked his timepiece, "…oops! Right now!"

"How convenient." Apollo teased Starbuck.

Starbuck smiled apologetically, "Gotta run, good luck!"

Apollo sighed after his quickly departing companion, "I'll need it." He turned and headed for the Life Center.

¤

"Once the war with the Eastern Alliance began, I became a freighter pilot so that I could help my people get the supplies they needed," Qasha began. Celeste had finished telling her stories and was now listening intently to her roommate.

The Terran woman continued, "I met my husband at a spaceport on Luna 6. For years we flew together, until one day. The Eastern Alliance decided to halt free trade between Terra and her moons. There were many people who relied on supplies from off world; so we became smugglers. After that, everything changed. My husband and I spent most of our time hiding or running from the Alliance."

Celeste nodded sympathetically. She knew what it was like to be hunted.

"Then they caught us while we were making a run to Luna 1. There was a massacre going on down there, headed by the Alliance, and we stumbled right into the middle of it. One of the attacking Alliance ships spotted us and fired. They damaged our freighter. We were able to drift, but not navigate, so we drifted through space. We lived off the supplies in our cargo hold. Eventually, we crashed on that planet. My husband was…taken by the Mono…Cylons."

Celeste's mind flashed suddenly to the quietly defiant, proud eyes of a dark-skinned man wearing a tattered civilian pilot jacket and standing in a jungle. She suddenly was surrounded by the sound of Cylon scanners whirring and metal clanking and jungle animals.

Then there was another sound.

A loud sound.

And a woman crying out.

Celeste gasped as she struggled back to reality. She tried to slow her breathing back to normal.

Qasha watched the other pilot woman, her dark eyes fixed on Celeste's blue ones.

She looked like she was about to say something, when Apollo walked in.

"How're you feeling?" Apollo asked Celeste.

Celeste grimaced, "If you're meaning the ankle, it's still not usable."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Apollo said gently, "look, I need to talk to you about something."

Qasha caught on, "And I need to check out of here. The nurses…excuse me…med-techs said that I was done hours ago." She stood and began to leave, then hesitated. She turned and looked at Celeste, doing something with her left eye that was akin to a wink, "By the way, I enjoyed our discussion immensely." Then she left.

Apollo's eyes widened, "You mean you actually _did _talk to her?"

"For centares!" Celeste exclaimed, "I mean, once you get that gal chatting, she'll talk your ear off!"

"Really." Apollo said skeptically, "Who'd have thought?"

Celeste smiled to herself, then looked up at Apollo, "So, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Uh, yeah." Apollo said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Well," Celeste gestured beside her, "Pull up a pillow, and let's talk."

Apollo sat beside her.

She grinned at him mischievously, "Just don't let Starbuck hear that you're seeing his sister privately!" she teased, "He might not understand!"

The captain allowed a small smile to escape, "I wouldn't worry about that. Besides, he's on patrol."

"Oh," Celeste said mock-knowingly, "I see. While the felid's away…"

"Celeste!" Apollo playfully protested, shaking his head, "There are times when you remind me a little _too _much of Starbuck!"

"Well, forgive us for being related." Celeste rolled her eyes.

"Besides," Apollo continued, "I had a specific reason for coming down here."

"I know," Celeste said dramatically, "You feel sorry for your best friend's crippled little sister, who's trapped in the Life Center with nothing to do, and only a quiet Terran woman to talk to." Celeste sighed, "And not a Pyramid game in sight."

"Which is probably a good thing," Apollo added jokingly. Then he sobered, "Seriously, though. There's something I have to ask you. It's important, and, well, you don't have to agree to it if it makes you uncomfortable…or if you think it's too soon."

Celeste watched Apollo's face closely, reading his emotions. She saw hesitation, a little nervousness, and as always, a genuine concern for her well-being. And maybe…no, definitely…something more than concern.

_Lords of Kobal! _Celeste thought, _He's not going to ask _that_…is he? I heard that he only knew his wife for a few sectons before they got sealed…but I don't think I'm ready for this!_

Apollo saw Celeste's eyes avert to the floor in thought, "Celeste?"

"Yes?" She replied quickly, looking back up. She froze, suddenly captured by a force she could not escape. A force that she didn't want to escape. She found herself feeling something she'd never felt before: a need to depend on someone else.

Or had she felt it before? But if she had, this was different.

"Keep going," she smiled at Apollo, unable to completely mask the wobble in her voice. Inwardly, she was in a near panic. _Can I do this? What if I say no? I can't hurt Apollo! And if I said no…well, I'm not sure I'd mean it!_

Apollo took a breath, "All right."

_Here it comes, _thought Celeste.

"We're planning a party for the kids on the orphan ship, and the _Rising Star _has offered to host it…"

Celeste's mouth dropped open.

"…on the condition that you appear live to give a speech on the Cylons. Tonight." Apollo finished.

There was an awkward pause as Celeste absorbed this information.

"That's it?" she said finally.

"That's it?" Apollo repeated, "Didn't you hear what I said? They want _you,_ of all the people they could have asked, to give a speech, and on the topic of Cylons, no less! And tonight, when you can't even leave the Life Center on your own power!"

"Then I'll just have to use somebody else's power." Celeste said logically.

Now it was Apollo's turn to absorb information. "So you'll do it?"

"Of course!" she answered, "It's for the kids, right? Besides, I'm sure I can come up with _something _to say about Cylons."

Apollo shook his head slowly, in partial shock, "Lieutenant Celeste, you never will stop surprising me, will you?"

Celeste smiled amusedly, "Someone's got to keep your life interesting."

"You are definitely good at that!" Apollo declared, almost laughing with relief.

Celeste smiled. "I missed you, Apollo," she said without thinking.

"You missed me?" Apollo asked, "I was only gone a few centares."

"Uh," Celeste tried to think of a believable explanation. Unable to think of any, she simply told the truth, "I know."

Apollo looked searchingly into her eyes, as though trying to see the meaning behind the words that Celeste herself was still trying to come to terms with. He looked at her, memorizing every detail of this enigmatic person that had affected so many people in her life.

Her blonde hair, kept short for ease of care during the demanding life of being a viper pilot in the Galactica's strike wing. When he'd first seen her, she'd let it grow long, and it had fairly flowed over her shoulders and down her back.

Her eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, but now almost glowing with something different.

Her straight nose, so like her brother's. _A nose for trouble. _Apollo thought.

Her muscled, but not stocky, build.

Her delicate-yet-tough fingers that could rewire computers, fire blasters, and control the most complicated ships known to man, and yet look so feminine.

Her legs, able to move as fast as her mouth, and usually doing so, especially during an alert.

Her ankles…her ankle.

Apollo felt a small tug at his heart when he came to her injured ankle. He hoped she wasn't in pain. _It could have been worse_, he reminded himself, _much worse._

"Apollo?" Celeste's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "Captain, are you okay?"

Apollo smiled reassuringly at Celeste, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"What about?" Celeste asked curiously.

Apollo's reassuring smile faded into a private one, "Just something."

"Huh." Celeste said, but she didn't push further. Instead, she changed the subject, "So, how're we going to get me to the _Rising Star_?"

"Well," Apollo replied, "how good are you with crutches?"

"Pretty good if I'm using them to knock down Cylons." Celeste admitted, "Not so good if I'm using them to walk."

"I'm not sure I want to hear that story," Apollo said, "but we do need to figure out a way to get you there…without a stretcher, preferably."

"Wait…" Celeste said. Apollo could almost see the wheels turning in her mind as her face lit up.

"I have an idea!" she exclaimed.

Apollo smiled, "I thought you might."

¤

On the shuttle to the _Rising Star_, Celeste was beginning to have second thoughts about her decision to deliver the speech. _Why did I ever agree to this? _she wondered, groaning.

Qasha, who sat next to her, looked at Celeste, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm just having trouble convincing myself that this is a good idea." Celeste confided. She felt strangely comfortable talking to the other woman. Celeste added, "Last time I got up in front of people to make a speech, it didn't go so well."

"Ahh." Qasha nodded sagely. Then she abruptly and unexpectedly changed the subject, "You didn't tell me everything about your past." It wasn't accusatory, but merely a fact. Her eyes took on a hint of concern, "Something intensely traumatic happened to you, something that affected your mind in a very personal and metaphysical way. I suspect that it was during the time you were captured by the… Cylons."

"I already told you that they tried to brainwash me." Celeste replied neutrally.

Qasha was not satisfied, "Whatever they did to accomplish that has damaged the part of your brain that stores memories. That's why you have the flashbacks of events that never happened to you. Those nightmares you have while you are awake."

"How did you get so smart?" Celeste smiled weakly, "No one knows that I have those except me!"

"But you had one earlier." Qasha observed.

Celeste stared in alarmed confusion at the woman in front of her.

The edges of Qasha's mouth turned up a little, "No, I don't read minds. It's just that I've seen it before. When I was growing up, my mom was a psychological counselor. She met my father when he was one of her patients. He was an emergency response technician, and he suffered those same flashbacks…I don't know what you call it in your star system, but basically it happens when someone has witnessed or experienced an extremely intense and traumatic event. They keep remembering the event long after it has happened, usually because something triggers the memory.

"My father saw a lot of awful things happen to people, and sometimes he'd see someone or something that reminded him of a certain event. Then his mind would go back to the event and, to him, it would happen all over again." Qasha sighed, "It scared me a lot when I was little. He'd suddenly zone out, and sometimes he thrashed and screamed. Once, he threw himself onto the floor and wouldn't move until he finally woke up."

Celeste was silent. She blinked a few times on Qasha's behalf, and managed to dislodge some of the water that was backed up in her eyes.

Qasha seemed to have run out of words. She sat watching Celeste, not staring, but not waiting for a response. Just looking.

_The flashbacks rarely happened to me while I was on Vaga. _Celeste thought, _because there wasn't much there to remind me of Cylons. But here on the _Galactica, _there are so many reminders. The "flashbacks" as Qasha called them, are getting worse and worse. What if they start happening while I'm talking to one of my friends, or Commander Adama, or Colonel Tigh? Or Boxey? It would scare Boxey, for sure; probably the others, too. And definitely Apollo. _

_What if it happened while I was flying?_

"Qasha…is there any way to make them stop?" Celeste asked, afraid of the answer.

Qasha looked down, "Not that I know of. Sometimes it goes away on its own. Sometimes it doesn't."

"Great." Celeste groaned, "So I could be stuck with this forever!"

"Whatever the Cylons did to you might be reversible," Qasha suggested, "Have you told anyone what you know about it?"

Celeste shook her head, "No, but I think the other warriors told the Life Center about it because they're trying to devise a way to get everyone back to 'normal'…at least, those who want to be 'normal' again." She sighed, "I can't say I blame the ones who do. They've endured a lot of prejudice since returning to the fleet. Most people don't understand what happened to us, so they don't trust us…"

Qasha looked at Celeste, who was beginning to recognize the subtle ways that the Terran woman expressed her feelings. Qasha was sending Celeste her version of an encouraging look. Celeste understood.

"That's what I could talk about." Celeste said softly, "I could tell the people what the Cylons did to me and the other warriors. Maybe it would help them understand…" She smiled at Qasha, "Thanks."

"For what?" Qasha replied, eyes sparkling.

¤

The _Rising Star _was packed with people. It seemed that everyone who could get onboard a shuttle had come to the passenger liner, and more were arriving every centon. No one wanted to miss the speech by the current fleet celebrity! Some were there out of curiosity, some out of gratitude, and some came because they maliciously hoped to see the famous warrior finally snap and prove to everyone what they thought she really was…a Cylon spy.

There were people there from nearly every ship in the fleet. The media team was there, preparing their cameras and recording equipment to broadcast the speech to those in the fleet who could not attend.

Celeste herself sat behind the stage in the main lounge area. She felt as nervous as a cadet on their first solo flight.

"It's almost time," Apollo said, arriving backstage, "You're sure about this?" he asked Celeste.

Celeste tried to smile, "Kinda late to back out now, don't you think?"

"Relax, I'm sure you'll do fine." Apollo reassured her.

"I can fly combat missions against squadrons of Cylons at the speed of sound," Celeste moaned, "but I can't handle talking to a bunch of people."

"Everyone gets nervous about public speaking," Apollo pointed out, "It's natural."

Celeste attempted to take a deep breath, failing miserably, "Is it natural to be petrified?"

Apollo smiled, "Hey, look at me."

She looked.

"It's going to be all right. No matter what happens."

Celeste managed a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered.

"This thing was a good idea." Apollo softly kicked the chair that Celeste was sitting in, "Much better than crutches."

Celeste looked at the contraption. It was a normal chair, except for the long poles attached to either side of it. She shrugged, "I read something once about these being used in ancient times by the Lords of Kobal. They used them to travel in style wherever they needed to go. I figured that if it was good enough for them, it's good enough for me."

"Well, my compliments to the Lords of Kobal, then." Apollo said.

Celeste took another shaky breath, "I think someone's announcing me."

From onstage, a voice could be heard saying, "…the fleet's own hero, whose name is already legendary, and will most definitely be known as one of history's greatest Warriors…"

"On the other hand," Celeste said, making a face, "maybe they're _not _talking about me."

"No such luck." Apollo remarked as the voice continued.

"…from the battlestar _Galactica's _Blue Squadron, the courageous Lieutenant Celeste!"

A hearty round of applause followed the man's words.

Apollo looked around, "Where's Starbuck? He's supposed to be here to help me carry you onstage!"

Zac suddenly appeared, "Need help with anything?"

The voice onstage repeated, "Lieutenant Celeste!"

"Zac, help me with this thing, would you?" Apollo asked.

"Sure!"

Apollo picked up the ends of the poles in front, and Zac took the ends in back. Both lifted, and Celeste found herself in the air. Together, they carried her onstage.

"Here goes nothing," Celeste muttered as her friends set down her chair and left to join the audience.

Celeste stared at the crowd and the cameras. She suddenly found that she couldn't remember why she was up there! They all watched her expectantly.

She stared at them. They stared at her. The people at home in their ships stared at their broadcast monitors.

Finally, Celeste opened her mouth.

"Hi."

_Oh, no, not again! _Celeste thought, groaning inwardly, _I'm going to go down in history as the most boring Colonial Warrior in the fleet if I don't think of something to say fast!_

"Uh…" Celeste glanced at Apollo, who was in the front row. He smiled encouragingly. Starbuck had finally showed up, and was seated next to him. Celeste squinted at her brother. He was doing something weird; waving a finger across his head and pointing an invisible blaster at her. Zac, on the other side of Apollo, noticed and began emulating Starbuck's bizarre behavior. Apollo pointed to them, and made motions with his hand indicating that she should start talking.

Finally, Celeste got it. _Cylons! I'm supposed to talk about Cylons! These crazy people wanted to hear _me _talk about Cylons…okay, guys, you can stop now, I got it and you look ridiculous! _She made a mental note to thank them after the speech. If she survived the actual _speaking _part, that is.

Celeste opened her mouth to try again.

"You asked me here to tell you about Cylons. But I get the feeling that what you really wanted to hear me talk about was the time I spent in the Cylon prison. So, I've decided to clarify a few things for you about what happened to me and the other warriors who were captured. The major thing that happened to us, and the reason all of you _really _wanted to hear me talk tonight, is the brainwashing and mind torture we had to endure. Am I correct?"

Celeste stopped to catch her breath, surprised at how easily the words were coming now, and the effect they were having on the audience. The crowd was silent, many people were staring at the floor.

Celeste hid a grin and continued, "I thought so, so here goes. The Cylon brainwashing involved images flashed into the brain of the captured person. Mostly, the images were recordings from Cylon centurions who went on raids. So a lot of the images were of people dying. From the captured person's point of view, they were images of the people being killed by the person seeing the images. It was this part of the mind torture that caused the memories and nightmares that we experience.

"The Cylons capturing the humans was actually the idea of a human betrayer before Baltar, named Nero. He'd been exiled from the Colonies when he was found to have helped plan an attack on Ares in return for his life. So Nero went to work for the Cylons full-time. His idea was fueled by irony and a need for revenge. It was to capture Colonial pilots and turn them into superhuman beings that were as strong and as fast-thinking as Cylons, but had the wits of humans. He built a machine that was designed to take the person's strongest talents and traits and magnify them, as well as to brainwash them into being loyal to the Cylons. The Cylons eventually killed Nero, of course, but the Imperious Leader liked his plot, so they kept the program going. It was limited to one basestar and all the prisoners were moved to that basestar along with the machine. The Cylons also modified the machine so that it emphasized loyalty to the Cylon Empire. The amplification of abilities was more of a side effect after that.

"You may be wondering why it was limited to one basestar. Well, the Imperious Leader was afraid of the superhumans, and he feared a revolt. He knew that if any of the newly captured pilots ever escaped, that the entire program and the whole Cylon Empire was in danger.

"Luckily for us, all of the prisoners remaining alive _did _escape. But returning to the fleet hasn't been easy for any of us. We're constantly regarded with skepticism, mistrust, and even fear. Let me just point something out to those of you who don't understand. The brainwashing takes 10 yahrens, and I was only there for four yahrens. None of the others who have returned were there as long as I was. None of us were even halfway to becoming Cylons."

Fire sparked passionately in Celeste's eyes as she spoke. She was almost glaring at the audience, daring them to challenge her words.

"Let me ask you all something. In the time since the return of the lost warriors, have any of us threatened you? Betrayed you? If there's been even _one _incident where any human, Baltar not included, has engaged in any kind of Cylon behavior since then, I want to know about it right now. If not, then I suggest you save all your negative feelings for the enemy."

A wave of tittering passed through the crowd. Many people were nodding. Others were looking embarrassed. The camera crews panned around the room, trying to capture the reaction of the audience.

Celeste began speaking again, "The Cylons are after all humans. Meaning that wherever you are from, whatever world, they will seek it out and destroy it. They destroyed all of our colonies, and they have pursued us across galaxies. Wherever there are humans, they will attack. And they won't stop until they have killed all of us. They don't reason, and you can forget diplomacy. They are machines bent on total annihilation of the human race. They won't think twice...or even once...about killing any of us. And they obviously aren't above capture and brainwashing. They will do anything to accomplish their objective. To destroy all humans. Let's not make it easy for them by fighting amongst ourselves!"

The audience once again was silent.

So was Celeste. She had run out of things to say.

_The speech must be over, _thought Celeste.

"Thanks for your time, and uh," she grinned with a sudden inspiration, "Have a nice senton!"

¤

"Good news!" Cassiopeia told Celeste, "Your ankle's healed nicely."

Celeste grinned, "Almost too bad. A girl could get used to being waited on."

Cassie gave her a stern look, "Don't get any ideas. I don't want to see you back in here again for a long time!"

"Don't worry," Celeste replied, "I don't plan on returning anytime soon."

"I know you don't _plan _on it." Cassie sighed, "But I need you to make _sure _that it doesn't happen. Now get out of here, I've got other patients to tend to," she smiled.

"Thanks Cassie," Celeste did her lopsided grin and stood up, "It's good to be back on my feet!"

Leaving the Life Center, Celeste found that she was in the mood to be around other people. With a grin, she headed for the Officers' Lounge.

Celeste arrived and seated herself on a bar stool at the counter. She ordered a glass of water and breathed a sigh of contentment.

"I'm sorry," the man behind the counter said, "we're out."

"What do you mean?" Celeste asked, "I only ordered water."

"I know," the man replied, "and I'm afraid we're out."

Celeste blinked in disbelief, "You're out of water?"

"It's due to the water shortage. I'm sorry, can I offer you anything else?" the man answered apologetically.

Celeste looked thoughtfully at the counter, "Uh, yeah…get me a cocoa juice."

"Is everything all right?" the man asked.

"Hmm?" Celeste looked up, "Oh, it's just that I didn't realize that the shortage was this bad!"

The man nodded, "All the remaining water is going to the agro ships and being rationed among the fleet." He shrugged, "when that runs out, we're all in trouble." The man left to get Celeste's drink.

Celeste stared after him. _This fleet won't last long without water, _she thought, _Cylons or no Cylons._

Her back toward the door, Celeste didn't see the two men who walked in at that moment. Their voices, however, diverted her attention from her grim thoughts.

"Did you hear that speech last night?" one asked.

"The one on the _Rising Star_?" the other answered, "No, I was on inspection duty."

"Oh, well, you're lucky."

Celeste winced.

"…the whole thing was that Lt. Celeste telling the fleet to feel sorry for her because she had _such _a hard time when she was captured."

"That's just felgercarb! We've all had it hard! It's just that _her _story is unusual enough to get public attention!"

"Exactly! And from all the hype, you'd think she'd single-handedly saved the fleet many times over, destroyed an entire Cylon attack force, disrupted anarchist conspiracies, and for Kobal's sake, done everything but hold a gun to Baltar's head and ask him to surrender!"

"Ha! As if! If she's so great, why isn't this war over? Who does she think she is, anyway? She comes out of nowhere, breaks a few rules, makes a few lucky rescues, and suddenly she's the fleet's biggest celebrity! It's like none of the rest of us even exist!"

"She did snag the spotlight, didn't she? But I guess it helps to buddy up to the fleet commander's sons and their friends."

Celeste's mouth hung open in dismay. She felt an overwhelming urge to turn around and fire off a few sarcastic comments of her own, but she held back and tried to remain inconspicuous and discreet. Besides, they were right about one thing. The fleet _did _get overexcited about her, and tended to exaggerate her accomplishments.

The voices continued, "These days, it's who you know."

"Yeah, I guess so," the other one replied, "but I hope this blows over soon. I'm so tired of hearing about her, and how everyone thinks she can do no wrong!"

"She's some kind of superhero to a lot of people, but it can't last forever. Sooner or later, some flaw will show through."

"In my opinion, it's about time she shared the spotlight a little!"

Celeste saw the man returning with her drink. She had a sudden premonition that he might say her name out loud. She tried to signal him to be quiet, but he didn't notice, or understand, or something, because he just smiled at her and set her drink on the table, "Here you go, Lt. Celeste. Sorry it took so long!"

Celeste looked at him with alarm, "Thanks, that's okay!" she said through clenched teeth. The voices behind her had suddenly stopped. She could almost feel the two men staring at the back of her jacket. "Felgercarb!" she muttered, taking a gulp of the dark liquid she had ordered.

So much for being inconspicuous and discreet.

_Oh, well, I hate sneaking around, anyway, right? _Celeste thought, groaning inwardly, _facing a problem head-on is much more effective. Yet I don't want to give them the benefit of seeing me lose my temper…_

Celeste stood up, finished her drink, turned around, and calmly walked past the two men, who turned out to be security guards, and out the door without saying a word. She did notice, to their credit, that both men had the decency to look embarrassed.

Once out of the Officer's Club, Celeste stopped. She didn't really have a plan of where to go next. It needed to be a place where she could think about all the things she'd just found out, including the water shortage. Celeste remembered the Observation Lounge. It would do. Eyebrows furrowed in intense thought, Celeste stepped into a turbolift and rode it up to the deck containing the lounge.

Zac and Rigel were there, chatting easily. Zac saw Celeste and called out, "Hey, Celeste! How's the ankle?"

"Better." Celeste half mumbled without stopping. She walked to a window table in the far corner and sat.

Zac frowned, "I wonder what's bugging her? She's usually a lot friendlier," he told Rigel.

"Everyone has bad days." Rigel reasoned.

Zac shook his head, "Kobal help us if _Celeste_ is having a bad day."

Rigel smiled, "I'm sure she'll be over it in time for the party. If she's anything like her brother, the party will only improve her mood."

"You know Starbuck?" Zac asked.

Rigel looked a little pink, "I doubt there's a single woman anywhere on this battlestar who doesn't know Starbuck."

"What?" Zac cried.

Rigel grinned, "Don't be jealous, Zac. We went out _once. _It didn't work out, and I realized that I missed you too much to think about having a relationship with anyone else."

"Oh." Zac smiled, relieved, "Well, then I guess I should have asked if you had ever met Celeste…formally I mean, not just had her walk by and say one word."

"Well, it wasn't really formal," Rigel replied, "but I did work with her some when she was in charge of the _Galactica._"

"She sure is a character." Zac remarked, "I understand what Apollo sees in her."

"Oh!" Rigel exclaimed, "I didn't realize she and your brother were a pair!"

Zac made a face, "Actually, neither do they."

"I see." Rigel giggled, "So what about us?"

"Us." Zac repeated.

"Well…?" Rigel asked.

"Well…?" Zac repeated. His voice seemed to have stopped working. And it had nothing whatsoever to do with Cylons.

Rigel finally blurted out, "Well, are we? A pair?"

"Do you want to be?" Zac squeaked out.

Rigel rolled her eyes, "Zac, I waited for you for two yahrens! How much longer do I have to wait?"

Zac felt as though he'd been somehow frozen in place. His heart thudded. "Uh…"

Rigel was starting to get an annoyed look on her pretty face.

_Of course, Rigel! I want to be your boyfriend! _Zac thought, _Can I say that? Can I say _anything

"Uh…"

Rigel started to stand up, "Look, if you're not interested, we don't have to…"

"No!" Zac cried, "I mean yes!"

Rigel looked upset. She said softly, "Well, is it 'no' or is it 'yes'?"

"Rigel," Zac went to her and took her hands, "I'm not very good at this kind of thing. But…will you be my girlfriend?"

Rigel's eyes softened as she smiled at him, "Yes, Zac, I'll be your girlfriend."

The two were totally unaware of the pair of eyes that watched them from the corner of the room. Celeste, with her Cylon-enhanced vision, saw the exchange and smiled, almost wistfully. "Good for you, Zac," she said quietly. She was happy for her friend, and for Rigel, who had waited for him. It was impressively and romantically touching. And it stirred a feeling in Celeste, not unlike the ones she'd had earlier. That she wanted someone to rely on. That somehow, half of her was missing.

Celeste shook her head, trying to get control of her thoughts again. _Why does life have to be so confusing all at once?_ She sighed, _And all I wanted to do was fly vipers...how did everything get so out-of-hand? I've got jealous warriors, skeptical bridge officers, a fleet full of thirsty people who want to make peace with the race that wants to annihilate them, crazy relatives, love-struck friends, horrible nightmares…and day-mares, an exaggerated celebrity status, and soon there'll be a ship-full of kids having a birthday party! _

_On the positive side, Baltar still thinks I'm dead (unless he can receive colonial broadcasts), so he won't be trying to kill me for a while. And I can go back to flying with the squadron now that my ankle's better. But maybe I should lie low for a while, and stop going on all these high-profile missions. If I stop drawing attention to myself, someone else is bound to do something worth being famous for, and they'll forget about me! _

_Right. And daggits have wings. But it couldn't hurt to try. Apollo would approve. He wouldn't have to know _why _I won't go on the big missions. But he would suspect something…_

_Apollo. How does Apollo fit into all of this? He's my closest friend, closer than even Starbuck is. Qasha knows a lot about me now, but she's not really…close. Apollo's always there, rushing to my rescue as often as I rush to his. He's someone I…trust. I look up to him. At first, he was like a brother to me…but now, something's different between us. He sensed the change as I did. I think probably before I did. Back on that shuttle from the gunship. I was too busy being angry with him. _

_Having Chameleon there trying to tell me his sob story didn't help matters any. I forgive him for what he did to me…but I don't think I can ever forget. And I wasn't exactly in the mood for any of his felgercarb right then. At least we had the pyramid game. _

_Come to think of it, I was pretty rude to Zac and Rigel just a short while ago! _

Celeste looked around, but the two had left. She made a mental note to apologize to them when she saw them next.

_I guess I should tell Colonel Tigh that I'm ready to go back on duty. _Celeste thought, _and then I should find Apollo and let him know. And Starbuck, too. They will probably need some help getting this party planned, and I know just the lieutenant for the job!_

¤

The upper decks of the _Rising Star _were unusually empty of people when Celeste arrived, but it was full of activity! People bustled here and there, adjusting decorations, delivering supplies, and discussing the locations of events. Celeste saw several of the children from the First Learning class helping with the preparations. To her amusement, she noticed that the _children_ seemed to be directing the _adults_' activities!

_Why shouldn't they? It's their party! _Celeste smiled at one little boy who was trying to explain to a man on a ladder how he thought a banner should be hung. The boy smiled back. The man waved, forgetting the banner he was holding. It fluttered to the floor. The boy dramatically smacked his forehead, the look on his face clearly expressing his opinion how hopeless grownups were.

Celeste kept walking, thinking to herself that there were plenty of times when she felt like doing the same thing.

In room after room, Celeste found people preparing for the party. _There are quite a few people chipping in, _she mused, _but that's not surprising. Apollo's good at getting people to help out. _

Striding through the ship, Celeste recalled stories of things that had happened on the _Rising Star_: Apollo and Boomer crashing Sire Uri's private feast party when the refugee fleet was starving; countless Triad tournaments; Chameleon appearing from anonymity with three Borellian Nomen after him; the mysterious murder of a Triad player; the Peacemakers' violent uprising; the speech she'd given only the senton before; and soon, a birthday party for the orphans of the fleet.

So many crazy, dangerous, unexpected things had happened on the _Rising Star. _Celeste fervently hoped that the party would go smoothly.

Finally, she reached the main reception hall. She saw many people from the _Galactica _inside, decorating, finalizing schedules, and loudly discussing differences of opinion.

Stepping carefully around boxes of decorations, Celeste approached Apollo. The captain was in the center of the room, keeping everything on task. Apollo saw her and smiled, "Finally decide to join us?" he teased.

Celeste grinned back, "I couldn't let you have all the fun!"

"How's the ankle?" Apollo asked, more seriously.

"Fine," Celeste shrugged off the concern, "So, what do you need done?"

Apollo stared hard at her for a moment, then sighed, "They might need some help with the lights on the dining level," he answered.

"I'm on it, Captain!" Celeste saluted and headed off, happy to be back on the team.

She didn't see Apollo watching her leave, so she didn't see his smile. Starbuck, however, did.

"Starbuck to Apollo, come in Apollo." Starbuck said, standing beside the captain.

Apollo hid the smile and turned around, "What?"

"Oh, don't play innocent with me, remember, I'm the expert," Starbuck teased, "I saw that look, I know you were lightyahrens away a centon ago, and I have a guess as to why."

Apollo gave Starbuck a "that's ridiculous" look, "I don't know what you're talking about." He hid another smile, enjoying the game.

"Oh, yes you do!" Starbuck replied, "Or if you don't, you need to figure it out."

Apollo crossed his arms, "Really."

"Apollo," Starbuck scolded, "she's my sister!"

The captain found he could no longer hide his grin completely, "Didn't seem to stop you from going after Athena."

"uh…" Starbuck hesitated, "…that was different…"

"Oh?" Apollo raised an eyebrow, "Well, then. If the way I feel about your sister is different from the way you acted about mine, then this conversation has no point to it, does it?"

"Wait…" Starbuck held up his hand, "that's not what I meant! I meant that…"

"That we should get back to work?" Apollo suggested innocently.

Starbuck sighed, "Okay, you win this round," he turned to go, "but we'll talk later!"

Apollo chuckled and resumed his job of going over the schedule.

¤

"Great turnout, isn't it?" Starbuck joined Celeste at the table she was sitting at. The kids had arrived, and the party was in full swing.

"Yeah," Celeste agreed, looking around at the people, "But I wonder where Boomer is?"

"Hiding?" Starbuck guessed, "Qasha arrived on that last shuttle."

"Hmm," Celeste grinned, "That must be it!"

Starbuck shook his head, "Yeah, poor Boomer's not used to the female attention."

"Unlike you!" Celeste playfully pushed her brother.

Starbuck looked thoughtful, "Maybe I should give him some pointers."

"Hmm, yeah," Celeste said seriously, "If he did things your way, Qasha would probably leave him alone!"

"Hey…" Starbuck protested.

"Want a drink?" Celeste deftly changed the subject. She grinned and went to the bar.

Starbuck blinked. He still wasn't used to someone using his tricks on him, and he doubted that he'd ever get completely used to Lt. Celeste. Starbuck suspected that she liked it that way.

Celeste returned with two mugs, handing one to Starbuck.

"To family!" she raised her mug.

Starbuck clinked his glass against hers, "To family!" He took a swig, made a face, and swallowed, "Ugh, what is that?"

"Fruit juice," Celeste answered, "Well, more like fruit sludge The water shortage is dehydrating the plants…"

"Fruit juice?" Starbuck asked, "Oh, for the kids." He stared into the mug, "You made a toast with _fruit juice_?"

"Mmmm hmmm!" Celeste nodded. She changed the subject again, "Does it seem to you as though the fleet has slowed down? A lot?"

Starbuck set his mug down and looked at Celeste, "Do you remember that planet we just got back from?"

"How could I forget?" Celeste groaned.

Starbuck's eyes narrowed in thought, "Remember when we were approaching it, and scanning the land mass to find the _Lemonade_?"

Celeste nodded, then understood, "Water! That planet was mostly water!"

Starbuck smiled, "Exactly."

"But we can't get to the water until we can get rid of the Cylon base there." Celeste deduced, "So, why rush away from heavily guarded water when you're thirsty?"

"It might be our only option to send in a strike team and disable the base before we can bring in the tankers." Starbuck said, "And guess which lucky squadron will probably end up with _that_ job?"

Celeste snorted, "At least we already know the territory."

Suddenly, Apollo appeared, looking slightly concerned.

"What's wrong, Apollo?" Starbuck asked.

"Have either of you seen Boxey yet?" Apollo asked.

"I haven't." Celeste answered, "Didn't he come with his class?"

"He would have, but Muffy was in the Science Center for a tune up," Apollo explained, "So Dr. Wilker was supposed to make sure that both of them got on a shuttle over here as soon as they were done."

"Maybe they're not done yet." Starbuck suggested, "You know how Dr. Wilker gets…"

Celeste nodded in agreement, "Maybe Boxey'll be on a later shuttle."

Apollo shook his head, "That _was _the later shuttle." He pointed towards a group of people entering the room, "There aren't any more shuttles from the _Galactica _scheduled until the party's ending time."

"Oh." Celeste and Starbuck said.

"That's why I'm hoping he's here," Apollo continued, "He'd be really disappointed if he missed this."

"He's probably off making friends somewhere," Starbuck said confidently, "I'm sure he will turn up."

"Okay, well, keep your eyes open." Apollo said, "I'm going to ask Zac if he's seen Boxey."

"Good luck!" Celeste called, setting her drink down on the table and sitting with Starbuck.

Across the room, a couple of security guards strolled in. They stood casually by the door. Celeste stiffened.

"Oh, great," Starbuck groaned under his breath, "of all the places to get assigned to, they just happened to be assigned to the room I'm in."

"I feel safer already." Celeste said sarcastically. She recognized them as the same two who she'd overheard in the Officers' Club. "You know them?"

"Reese and Daritt?" Starbuck whispered, "Unfortunately, yes. Why, do _you _know them?"

"Enough to know that they're very opinionated," Celeste replied, "I heard them 'discussing' me earlier."

Starbuck stood up, "What were they saying?" he demanded.

Celeste could almost see the heat rising in her brother's head, "Starbuck, it's okay," she held up a hand, "They're entitled to their opinions, same as everyone else."

"They're a couple of jerks," Starbuck growled.

Celeste nodded and stood, "That's why I'm going to give them some space. I'm not sure I can trust myself to be civil."

"Same here!" Starbuck followed her. They both walked past the guards and out the door.

The security guards watched them go, their faces not showing their puzzlement and relief that both warriors were leaving.

¤

Apollo found his younger brother manning a Viper simulator; one of the party games. Zac reset the machine and grinned at Apollo.

"Everything's going smoothly, Captain!" Zac announced.

"Good," Apollo answered.

Zac helped a little boy into the mockup cockpit, "I'm glad Starbuck had the idea of using this simulator. The kids love it!" Zac exclaimed, "And who knows, maybe we have some future Warriors, here." Zac turned on the machine and turned to Apollo, "What's up? You look concerned."

"I was just wondering if you'd seen Boxey," Apollo answered.

"No," Zac replied, shaking his head, "I haven't. Is he missing? I can shut down here and help you look…"

"No, no, he probably just missed the shuttles from the _Galactica. _I'm sure he's fine," Apollo said, "Besides, you're doing a good job here."

"Thanks Apollo," Zac smiled.

Apollo turned to leave, but paused, "Zac?"

"Yeah?"

Apollo gestured to the simulator, "Your pilot has landed."

"Huh?" Zac looked at the kid in the simulator. The kid looked back expectantly.

"Oh!" Zac stopped the machine, "I guess it's a good thing I'm not a real ground crewman!"

Apollo shook his head amusedly, "I guess it is!"

Zac helped the excited little boy out of the simulator cockpit.

"Wow!" he told the little boy, "you got a score of ten! That's really good for your first try!"

"But I didn't get any Cylons," the boy said sadly. Then he brightened, "I landed though!"

"And that's not easy to do." Apollo told the boy.

The boy beamed, "Bye!" and ran off to another game.

"Doesn't seem all that long ago when that was you," Apollo told Zac.

Zac laughed, "It seems forever ago to me! Caprica seems like lifetimes ago. When the treehouse was my viper, and girls were the enemy." He sobered, "Back when the war seemed so far away. Now it seems to travel with us."

Apollo nodded in agreement, "It does. And most of these kids don't even remember what it's like to be on a planet."

"Or to have a family," Zac added.

Apollo didn't answer. He was looking at someone across the room.

"What is it?" Zac asked.

"The security guard," Apollo gestured to the doorway where two guards stood, "Do you recognize him?"

Zac shook his head, "No, but I don't know very many security guards."

"I do," Apollo frowned, "And I know that the guards from this party were supposed to come from the _Galactica. _I've never seen either of those two before."

"Maybe they're new, or from a different rotation than we are," Zac suggested.

"That's possible…but I've got a funny feeling." Apollo replied uneasily.

Zac glanced worriedly at his brother and then frowned at the guards, "No offence, but I hope your feeling's wrong."

"So do I." Apollo answered.

¤

"Well, if it isn't the guests of honor!" Colonel Tigh said, seeing Celeste and Starbuck leaving the dining room.

Both lieutenants halted.

Colonel Tigh asked, "Are you two enjoying the party?"

"Yes sir!" Starbuck said. Celeste nodded.

Tigh narrowed his eyes, "You aren't…up to anything, are you?"

"No." they both said.

"Hmm," said the Colonel, "Well, be sure not to miss the aerial salute. Bronze Spar Squadron's been working hard on their routine."

"We wouldn't miss it, Colonel." Celeste smiled.

Tigh smiled back, "Good. Well, I'm glad this party's going so well. Have either of you by any chance seen the commander?"

"Last I saw," answered Starbuck, "He was making small talk with council members."

The colonel grimaced, "You didn't happen to see Siress Tinia, did you?"

"I don't think so," Starbuck replied.

Tigh seemed to straighten, "In that case, I'll be with Commander Adama. If you'll excuse me?" Tigh strode off in search of Adama.

"Siress Tinia?" Celeste asked, puzzled.

"Long story," Starbuck grinned, "basically, the Colonel had a…difference of opinion with the Siress when she was assigned to work closely with the commander during one of the council's little mini-crises."

"Ah," Celeste nodded, "I see. So, when's this aerial salute supposed to take place?"

"Uh," Starbuck checked his handheld scanner, then his timepiece, "in about five centons!"

"Well, let's be sure and get a good seat!" Celeste grabbed Starbuck's arm and dragged him towards a corridor that led to the "window rooms" on that deck. They entered a small room where a few people were already waiting expectantly for the air show to start. Starbuck and Celeste headed for a viewglass and waited.

Boomer walked in and joined them.

Everyone waited.

And waited.

Starbuck frowned at his timepiece, tapped it, then shook it.

Celeste stared unblinkingly at the fleet outside the viewglass. Her eyes narrowed.

Two kids in the room started bugging each other.

Still, apparently nothing happened.

"They should have started by now." Starbuck shook his head.

Boomer frowned thoughtfully, "They're not usually this far behind schedule."

Celeste suddenly jerked up, "What was that?" she cried in alarm. She turned and dashed out of the room.

Starbuck started to follow her, "What was what?" he called, stopping when he realized he wasn't going to catch up with her. He returned to Boomer, "What is with her lately?"

Boomer was staring out the viewglass, "Starbuck, Bronze Spar Squadron was planning on using Vipers, right?"

"Well, yeah," Starbuck nodded, "From when I heard, half the squadron was going to launch from the _Galactica _and half from the _Rising Star_. It sounded like it was going to be a great show."

"That's what I heard, too." Boomer started heading for the door, "Come on."

"What? What's going on?" Starbuck asked, following Boomer.

Boomer stopped just outside the doorway and turned to Starbuck, "I didn't want to say this in front of all those people, but we're going to need the Vipers that are on board," he said urgently, pointing at the viewglass in the room, "because the 'aerial salute' that the _Galactica _is getting has nothing to do with Bronze Spar Squadron."

Starbuck squinted out the viewglass. He could barely make out the form of the battlestar, far out at the head of the fleet. Then he saw the swarms of tiny gray ships surrounding the _Galactica_, and the red glows of explosions.

"Frack!" Starbuck exclaimed, "We should have guessed that the Cylons would take advantage…wait, how did they know?"

"My guess is that Baltar's still got inside informants." Boomer sighed, "But never mind how he found out, right now we need to figure out a way to stop this attack! The commander needs to know what's going on, too."

"He knows." Celeste seemed to materialize behind the men, "He and Colonel Tigh and half the people on board." She looked straight into Boomer's and Starbuck's eye, "They've been captured. The _Rising Star_'s been hijacked."

"Not again!" Starbuck groaned.

"What did you see?" Boomer asked Celeste.

Celeste took a breath, "Well, I thought I heard blaster discharge, so I went to check it out. By the time I got there, they'd captured everyone in the main dining hall and also the people in the rooms on the starboard side of the ship."

"'They' who?" Starbuck asked, his eyes revealing his dismay.

"A crooked bunch of security guards and civilians, from what I could see." Celeste replied.

"Undercover Peacemakers." Boomer guessed.

Celeste nodded, "Most likely."

"Great," Starbuck groaned, "maybe I should avoid this ship. Every time I come aboard, Peacemakers crash the party and take hostages!"

Boomer asked Celeste, "Do you know where Apollo and Zac are?"

"I didn't see them with the others," Celeste answered, "Hopefully, they haven't been captured."

"Zac was running the simulator on the game level," Starbuck remembered.

"Okay, why don't you go down there and find him," Boomer told Starbuck, "Celeste and I'll try to keep the rest of these people safe. And keep an eye open for the captain."

"Got it!" Starbuck replied, "I'll be seeing you." He headed down the hall.

Boomer and Celeste stationed themselves at places along the hallway where they could sustain visual contact with each other and the door to the rooms on that side. If anyone came to bother the people in the rooms, Celeste and Boomer would know about it! The two warriors kept their guns drawn, but held them down at their sides.

Gasps came from inside the room. Celeste peeked inside, and she, too, gasped, "Boomer, the _Galactica_!"

Boomer peeked in, "Kobal…"

The _Galactica_,no longer far ahead of the fleet, was still being bombarded with Cylon ships, but was no longer fighting back. Her two powerful main engines weren't running, and all her lights were shut off. The battlestar looked for all the galaxy like it was dead.

"The power's gone." Celeste whispered, "which means that they could have knocked out the shield, which means…"

"Which means that Baltar may have finally come up with a successful plan." Boomer said dryly.

"Not if I can help it," Celeste growled, "The day that happens is the day I start flying the garbage scow! As soon as we find Apollo and Zac, we'll come up with a plan to save the _Galactica_."

Boomer raised an eyebrow at her, "Something tells me you've already got a plan in the works."

"Not yet," Celeste frowned, "That's why I'm hoping we find the others. Between the five of us, we've got to be able to come up with something!"

"I see," Said Boomer, "Well, let's hope there's still a _Galactica _to save by the time we get a plan together."

"Believe me," Celeste replied grimly, "I'm hoping."

¤

Starbuck snuck down the hallway as quickly and silently as he could. Finally, he reached the game room. Inside, he could hear shrieks and yelling! He tensed, ready for action.

"Felgercarb! I'm too late!" Starbuck muttered. He held his blaster tightly and peeked into the doorway. He had no intention of walking into another volatile situation and limping out.

"Starbuck?" a voice behind him said suddenly.

Reflexively, Starbuck whirled around, gun pointed at the person.

"Don't shoot! It's me, Zac!" Zac cried. He was holding the hand of a little girl. A frightened little girl.

Starbuck relaxed and put his gun back in the holster, "Sorry, I thought you were one of _them_."

"One of who?" the little girl asked.

"Uh, Cylons." Starbuck replied, "Zac, um…can I talk to you?"

"Sure," Zac replied. He turned to the little girl, "Okay, can you go back to the others now, Vala?"

The little girl bounced up and down uncomfortably, "But I gotta go _again_!"

"Well, ask someone else to take you," Zac suggested.

The little girl frowned, and raced into the room.

Zac turned back to Starbuck, "Okay, what's going on? You know there's no Cylons on the _Rising Star_!"

"I'm not so sure," Starbuck replied, "For all we know, there could be!"

"Starbuck, what is going on? Why are you sneaking around out here with your gun drawn?" Zac cried, "You're going to scare people!"

"If you think I'm scary, wait until you find out what's happening on the dining deck." Starbuck answered sarcastically, "And to the _Galactica_. Where's the captain? He needs to hear this, too."

"He's in there," Zac pointed into the room.

Starbuck peeked back in and nearly ran into the little girl. She was dragging a reluctant woman out the door.

"Sorry!" Starbuck called after them as they went by. Then he said it again a few more times as he rushed into the room, brushing people on his way. Starbuck headed straight for Apollo, with Zac on his heels. Apollo was standing near the far wall, smiling and talking to a few people.

Starbuck grimaced inwardly. He hated being the bearer of bad news. Somehow, he didn't think Apollo would be in such a good mood when he found out that the _Rising Star _had been partially taken over by violent activists, that his father an half the guests and crew had been taken hostage, and that the _Galactica _was under heavy attack from the Cylons when most of her fighter pilots were on the _Rising Star_!

When Starbuck reached his captain, he took a deep breath. _It's a dangerous job, but somebody's got to do it._

"Apollo?" Starbuck said, "We've got a problem."

Apollo excused himself from the conversation he was having and turned to Starbuck and Zac, "What kind of problem?" He looked around, "Where's Celeste?" he asked, sounding alarmed.

"She's fine, it's not her," Starbuck also glanced around, but he was looking at the oblivious partygoers, "Uh, I don't want to start any mass panic…can we talk somewhere else?"

Zac's eyes widened, "That bad of a problem?"

Starbuck nodded.

Zac leaned forward and continued, "You mean, there actually _are _Cylons on the _Rising Star_?"

"What?" Apollo gasped.

"No!" Starbuck cried, "At least, I don't think so, but maybe just as bad…look guys, lets go out to the hall and I'll tell you. Or better yet, I'll show you." Starbuck led his friends back the way he'd come. They followed him, imitating his stealthy movements as they sneaked through the ship.

At last they reached the hall that Celeste and Boomer were guarding.

"Thank the lords!" Boomer exclaimed, "We were beginning to worry that you'd been captured!"

"Captured by who?" Zac asked.

Celeste shot a glare at her brother, "You mean you didn't tell them?"

"No, not exa…"

"Starbuck! You're as bad as Ch…" Celeste stopped herself and rephrased her sentence, "I mean, why not?"

Boomer, Starbuck, and Apollo all looked at her questioningly, but didn't get a chance to find out what she meant because of something Zac was looking at.

"Guys," Zac said worriedly, "Better look out the viewglass."

Celeste and Boomer stared knowingly out the viewglass as Apollo and Starbuck gasped.

Zac looked worried.

Boomer looked sad.

Celeste looked angry.

Apollo looked horrified.

Starbuck looked. His lips moved, but didn't form complete words as his mouth searched for a suitable expletive. Finding none worthy of the situation, it closed altogether and a rare thing happened.

For once, Starbuck couldn't think of a thing to say.

Zac broke the silence, "How long has that been going on?"

"Almost fourty centons." Boomer replied, "And it doesn't look like they got very many fighters launched.

Celeste's blue eyes were cold and hard, like thick clear ice over deep, dark water. She stared straight out at the battlestar, as though trying to freeze the Cylons with her gaze. The woman's voice was forced as she added, "The _Galactica _lost all her power about fifteen centons ago."

Apollo walked to a small viewglass to the side of the crowd. He watched as the eerily lifeless battlestar was pummeled by the relatively tiny Cylon raiders. A sad expression replaced the horrified one.

Celeste noticed. Her eyes softened, the ice melting a little. She went to her friend and said quietly, "He missed the shuttles, didn't he." It wasn't a question.

"There's got to be something we can do, some way of contacting them, or something!" Starbuck exclaimed.

"Well," Boomer answered, "The _Galactica _is only one of our problems right now." He turned to Zac and Apollo, "Most of the _Rising Star _has been captured by people we can only guess to be the Peacemakers."

"Peacemakers?" Zac asked, "I thought they surrendered!"

Starbuck snorted, "Maybe their idea of 'surrender' is similar to their idea of 'peace'!"

Apollo sighed, "We've got two objectives. Someone's got to regain control of the _Rising Star_, and someone's got to help the _Galactica._ Unfortunately, there's only five of us as far as I know. I think the rest of our squadron, plus the guys from Bronze Spar, were in the main dining hall when the takeover happened. There isn't time for all of us to do both, but if we split up, we may have a chance." Apollo pointed at Starbuck and Celeste, "If you two take the Bronze Spar vipers in the docking bay and assist the _Galactica_, Boomer, Zac, and I will come up with a way to retake the _Rising Star._"

"Two vipers against that?" Starbuck asked incredulously.

"That sounds crazy, even to me!" Celeste agreed.

Zac frowned, "Apollo, I'd like to go with them. They could use the help! I know I could do it this time…"

"You have your orders, lieutenants." Apollo said. He looked at each one of his friends, especially Starbuck and Celeste. He knew he was ordering them into one of the worst fights he'd ever seen, and he didn't like it, "Be careful. I want you back in one piece." He looked meaningfully at Celeste, "All of you."

"We'll look out for each other," Celeste nodded, mistaking the meaning of Apollo's words.

Starbuck straightened, "Let's get moving, the docking bay is a long walk from here." He started moving toward the door.

"We'd better take up our guard positions, Zac." Boomer said. He and Zac followed Starbuck out.

Celeste hung back, looking at Apollo, "I'm not going to fly alone. You can count on that, I'll watch my wingman this time as well as my own tail."

Apollo looked back at her, puzzled, "I know you will. I wasn't implying that you wouldn't." He tried to smile, "You're a good pilot. You and Starbuck are some of the best we have. If anyone can do this, it's you two." Apollo glanced back at the _Galactica_, his sigh betraying his thoughts, "A lot of people are counting on it."

Celeste looked down for a moment, then she put a comforting hand on Apollo's shoulder, "It's going to work out, somehow."

Apollo nodded, looking far away, "I know."

Celeste's mouth twitched determinedly, "We'll get him back safe, I promise."

Apollo nodded, "Which reminds me, I guess we're breaking the 'face it together' rule again. I'm sorry about that."

"Well," Celeste tried to think of a way to put his mind at ease, "not really. We're just facing it together…_apart_. But we'll be together again, hopefully." Celeste locked her eyes with his, "You and Boxey will be together again, too. That's one promise I'm not going to break, no matter what!"

Apollo blinked, smiled sadly, and pulled Celeste into a hug, "Just do what you can, Celeste. That's all anyone can ask of you."

"I will." Celeste replied, the tone of her voice somehow making those two short words sound like a binding oath.

Apollo awkwardly released her, realizing that the hug had lasted longer than he had intended it to. She smiled at him and he watched her join Starbuck in the hall. He wondered whether he'd ever see her again. _Of course I will. She's Celeste. She always comes back. Think positive, Apollo. Besides, Starbuck wouldn't let anything happen to her. _Apollo closed his eyes, seeing again the young woman's confrontation with Baltar on the Cylon gunship. He suddenly felt that he didn't want to let her out of his sight.

_If there was any other way…_But there wasn't. It was their only hope to split up. The fleet's only hope. Somehow, the five warriors had to pull off a miracle before the unacceptable, the unthinkable happened.

What remained of the human race depended on it.

¤

Celeste and Starbuck hurried down the halls as quietly as they could, peeking into open doorways before dashing past them. They happened to miss one, simply because the light was off in that room. It was out of this doorway that an arm came, grabbing Starbuck and yanking him inside. Celeste halted, walked suspiciously to the dark doorway, reached inside, and flipped on the lights. To her astonishment, Starbuck's captor was the dark-haired daughter of Commander Adama!

Celeste's mouth dropped open, "Athena…what are you doing?"

Starbuck pulled out of Athena's grasp, "Good idea, scaring us half to Hades!"

"I'm sorry," Athena apologized to Starbuck, "I thought someone was chasing you!"

"That was me," Celeste explained, "We were just trying to get to the docking bay. The _Galactica_'s under attack so we're going to use the vipers on board to defend her."

"And we've got to hurry," Starbuck added, heading for the door. Celeste followed suit.

"Just the two of you?" Athena cried.

"Mmm hmm!" Starbuck nodded.

Athena looked strangely at them both for a moment, "That's crazy! Does Apollo know what you're up to?"

"Yeah," Celeste began moving down the hall, "It was his idea."

Athena started following Celeste and Starbuck, "Well, great! You can come with me, then!"

"Come with you?" Starbuck asked.

Athena tossed her wavy brown hair, "As a Colonial Viper pilot, I was going to help the _Galactica_, too. So we might as well go together."

"Athena…"Starbuck began.

"No time to argue, guys." Celeste said, "Starbuck, she might as well come. We'll need all the help we can get."

Finally, the trio reached their destination. Athena opened the door. Blasters ready, they tiptoed into the bay. Celeste went to work on the ship locking mechanism computer on the wall. Beyond her, several shuttles and Vipers stood, waiting for pilots.

"Got it!" Celeste cried triumphantly as the lights on the ground in front of the Vipers changed from red to green. The Vipers' canopies slowly opened.

"Great!" Starbuck holstered his gun.

Athena gasped, "Oh, no!" She was standing near a scanner that was tuned to the info broadcasting channel. Celeste and Starbuck rushed over.

A newscaster's voice was speaking, "These images were received from the media team on board the passenger liner _Rising Star_, only centons ago…"

Starbuck didn't hear the rest of what the newscaster said. He was too busy sadly watching innocent people being herded into groups by threatening men with big guns. One man, who Starbuck recognized as the guy with the rusty shirt, approached the camera.

"Felgercarb!" Starbuck exclaimed.

"Acheron." Celeste muttered disgustedly.

The man threw an elbow punch toward the camera. The camera view spun dizzily, then stopped, showing a clear view of many feet moving around. Then the scene disappeared in static.

The newscaster continued, "So for the second time, a dangerous situation on the _Rising Star _has led to chaos and panic among the people of the fleet. On other ships, rioting and discord has broken out between those whose believe in fighting for their freedom, and those who oppose the war. It can only be speculated how many have been killed and injured today in the name of peace…"

Starbuck interrupted bitterly, "Well, it was definitely the Peacemakers."

Celeste stared at the blank screen, her face showing an uncharacteristic hollowness.

Athena looked up at Starbuck with tears hiding in the corners of her eyes. "What are we doing?" she asked, her voice shaking, "What are we trying to save?"

Celeste nodded angrily, "Warriors are out there dying for people whose idea of 'peace' is killing each other!"

The screen now showed a pitiful few Vipers engaged against the Cylon force that was attacking the _Galactica._

Starbuck glanced from one upset woman to the other, "Hey," he gestured to the three of them, "This is what we're saving!"

Athena looked at Starbuck, then at Celeste. She smiled; she understood. _Friends and family, camaraderie, love…the best aspects of what makes us human. That's worth saving. _

"You're right," Athena tried to smile.

Celeste nodded, "Good point, Starbuck." She unexpectedly grinned, "Let's do this!"

The three Warriors strode quickly to the Vipers lined up in the bay.

"Three Vipers to save a battlestar," Starbuck shook his head as he selected a fighter, "We're all certifiable, I hope you know that." He climbed to the cockpit and put on the helmet that was inside.

Celeste placed a helmet on her head, "We know."

"Speak for yourself," Athena said, positioning herself in her cockpit, "I personally feel safer behind Viper lasers and shielding than behind a hand pistol!"

"Yeah?" Starbuck challenged, "Let's see how you feel once we get into the middle of that granddaddy of all daggitfights going on out there!"

Celeste's voice cut in, "Hey, Big Brother, it's called _sibling_ rivalry for a reason! Let Athena alone. Besides, we've got to work together. As Starbuck pointed out, there's only three of us. What's left of the other Viper pilots are probably worn out by now. We'll have to watch each others' tails and stay out of crossfire."

"And keep from getting killed in the process." Athena added.

"Good suggestion." Starbuck commented, powering up his engines.

"Always sound advice," Celeste agreed teasingly, "Okay, are we ready?"

"I'm all set here!" Starbuck reported, "Athena?"

Athena's viper engines finally roared to life, "It's been a while, but I'm ready!" she said enthusiastically.

The three Vipers took off from the bay, kicking in their turbos as soon as they were clear of the _Rising Star_. The trio turned and headed for the besieged battlestar.


	4. Part 4

¤

From the surface of the planet, more Cylon raiders poured out of a large fissure in the ground. They took up their positions, six of them in a ring surrounding a seventh. The raiders flew straight for the _Galactica_, right through the fighting squadrons of their fellow Cylons. The seven ships flew right into the Beta landing bay and landed!

Out of the ships came twenty Cylons and one human. Baltar stepped out of his raider, green robes swirling. He clasped his gloved hands together and smiled, "What is this, Adama? No security teams?" He chuckled confidently and turned to a Cylon standing next to him, "Tell the others to start landing on the other ships immediately," he smiled darkly, "It won't be long before the _Galactica _is ours!"

It did seem that his words were all too true. Cylon fighters swarmed around the crippled battlestar, blasting what was left of her defense systems. The arrival of three new Colonial Vipers did little to deter them; though Starbuck, Celeste, and Athena were a force to be reckoned with. They were destroying Cylon ships as quickly as the Cylons launched them. However, even a practiced optimist like Starbuck could tell that it wasn't enough. Neither he nor either of the women were going to admit it out loud.

"Celeste, on your six!" Athena cried.

Celeste glanced at her scanner. Sure enough, there was a raider on her tail. For only the eighth time in as many centons.

"Blast!" she exclaimed, swinging her viper into an evasive twist.

"I'm about to." Starbuck announced over the comm.

Ahead, Celeste saw Athena's viper under fire. Cylons were starting their trademark "pinwheel" maneuver around Athena. "Hurry, Starbuck, or we'll all be space dust!" Celeste yelled.

"Where are you guys?" Athena cried.

The Cylon trailing Celeste exploded in a cloud of flames. Celeste and Starbuck headed for Athena, both simultaneously breathing sighs of relief.

Athena eased back on the control stick and held it while her ship performed a graceful loop. The Cylons were momentarily distracted, but quickly regrouped. Laser fire strafed the vacuum of space around Athena's viper. She cried out as a laser bolt connected with her canopy.

"Easy, Athena, we're coming." Starbuck said reassuringly.

Athena's viper zigzagged as her voice replied, "I'd feel a whole lot better if you were already here!" She fired when she saw three raiders whirl into view ahead of her. By some stroke of luck, she hit two of them and the third was caught in the explosion.

"Kobal, Athena! What do you need us for?" Celeste half-joked.

Athena replied, "The rest of them!"

Celeste shook her head, "I hear you." She watched more raiders arriving fresh from the Cylon base on the nearby planet. As she passed the _Galactica_'s Beta landing bay, she noticed something odd and disturbing.

"There are Cylons on the Galactica!" Celeste yelled over the comm.

Starbuck and Athena flew right behind her. "Oh no!" they said in tandem.

Celeste's viper looped back and started heading straight for the bay. A landing run.

"Celeste! Where the photon do you think you're going?" Starbuck yelled.

"Guys, we have to land!" Celeste exclaimed.

Athena replied incredulously, "We can't leave these few pilots to fend off all these Cylons!"

"If we don't do something fast we'll lose more than just the pilots," Celeste reasoned dismally, "The _Galactica _is the fleet's protection! If we lose that battlestar…" She trailed off, but her point was implied.

Starbuck sighed, "I don't think the other pilots will appreciate this."

Celeste smiled a little, "What about you Athena? You in?"

"Well," Athena hesitated, "Oh, I guess someone's got to make sure you two stay out of trouble."

"Great, we're going in."

Celeste, Starbuck, and Athena headed for the landing bay, blasting their path clear of Cylons as they went.

"Out of the frying pan and into the blaster fire," Starbuck remarked, eying the raiders parked on the _Galactica_.

Athena sighed, "Let's hope not. But be ready for anything."

The trio lined up with Beta bay.

Soon they would land.

¤

Zac, Boomer, and Apollo snuck through the _Rising Star_, blasters drawn. The sound of other blasters firing came from somewhere ahead. Quickening their pace, the men rounded the corner to discover the source of the sound.

Blaster bolts flew from a doorway. Flattened on either side of the doorway were Reese and Darit.

Apollo approached Reese, who was closer, "What's going on here?"

Reese's eyes were big, and his body language showed agitation, "We tried to secure the area, but these guys showed up and there were too many of them!"

"They've got hostages in there, so we can't fire on them!" Darit added.

Suddenly, the blaster fire stopped. The sound of grunts and people falling to the floor replaced it. Then there was silence for a few microns, followed by cheering.

The five men in the hallway cautiously peeked in.

Qasha stood in the center of the room, a pile of Peacemakers on the floor around her.

Zac and Boomer exchanged astonished glances.

Qasha gestured for the liberated ex-hostages to follow her as she exited the doorway. She didn't say a word to the men who were staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and awe, but her eyes twinkled.

"Wow, Qasha!" Zac finally exclaimed.

"What is everyone waiting for?" Qasha asked, looking the men over, "Lets retake this ship!"

"Yeah!" said Zac, Reese, and Darit.

"Where are these people going to go?" Boomer asked.

Reese cleared his throat; "Darit and I'll take them to a secure room and guard them."

Apollo nodded, "Okay. Zac? Boomer? Qasha? Let's go to the bridge."

"Good luck everyone," Darit said sincerely as he and Reese left with their charges.

The three warriors and the woman headed toward the front of the _Rising Star._

¤

Celeste dashed cautiously down the _Galactica_'s familiar hallways. They were slightly unfamiliar, however, because of the lack of other people dashing down them. Starbuck and Athena were the only other people nearby, as they dashed cautiously behind Celeste. The reason for all this caution lay behind them; the landing bay filled with Cylon Raiders.

Empty Cylon raiders.

"I don't understand," Athena called, "If they wanted to destroy the battlestar they'd have rammed it like they did with the _Atlantia _at Cimtar."

"They didn't want to destroy it. They wanted to capture it," Starbuck mused, "What I'd like to know is why."

They arrived at the bridge. Celeste caught a glimpse into the _Galactica's_ command center and halted, nearly causing her companions to collide with her. Lightning fast, she flattened herself to the wall next to the bridge doorway, motioning to Athena and Starbuck to do the same.

"What?" Starbuck hissed to Celeste, "What did you see?"

Celeste gave him a grim look, "The reason why they didn't destroy the _Galactica_."

"What?" Athena frowned.

"Shh!" Celeste winced, "Baltar."

"Frack!" Starbuck whispered very very quietly.

"You said it," Celeste sighed.

Athena narrowed her eyes and nodded seriously, "So, what are we going to do about it?"

Starbuck watched anxiously as his sister's eyes began to sparkle in a dangerously determined way.

Celeste nearly grinned, "We take the _Galactica _back."

"And…you know how to do that, right?" Starbuck asked.

The sparkling eyes danced, "I've got a few ideas."

"Wait a senton," Athena grabbed Celeste's sleeve, "Don't we need to know what we're up against first?"

"We're up against a bridge full of mindless hunks of laser-bearing metal and an incredibly stupid maniac genius who has control of the most powerful ship in what's left of the human race, as well as legions of Cylon forces. We're outnumbered, outgunned, and running out of time before whatever dastardly plot he has is put into irreversible action." Celeste said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, good." Starbuck dryly replied, "as long as it's nothing impossible."

"It's not impossible, we do have the element of surprise," Athena pointed out.

"Yes, and we can do something about the outnumbered and outgunned part." Celeste replied thoughtfully.

"Even if we could find people and weapons to help us, going into a bridge full of Cylons would be like walking into the middle of a firing range!" Starbuck whispered, his voice rising in volume, "Sending anyone in there would be murder!"

"Shh, Starbuck!" Athena chided, "But I agree. We don't want a massacre on our hands."

"A massacre isn't what I had in mind." Celeste whispered, "At least not a human one. Come on." She started slinking down the hall.

Starbuck and Athena exchanged glances and started after her.

"What do you have in mind?" Athena pressed.

Celeste stopped in front of a room marked Security Frequency Monitoring and sighed, "Diversion. Trickery. Taking advantage of the fact that no one knows we're here."

She opened the door slowly and slipped inside, followed by her companions.

"One thing I don't get," Starbuck said once they were inside, "We've been on a ship the size of a city for more than half a centar and haven't seen anyone! I know not everyone went to the Rising Star. Some people had to stay behind to run the _Galactica_. So where are they?"

"That bothers me too," Athena said worriedly, "I hope they're okay."

Celeste sobered, "Chances are the bridge crew isn't. But maybe the others locked themselves into rooms in time. I don't remember seeing any bodies on the way here."

She sat by a computer console and began pressing buttons. A screen flickered, showing information on image reel archives. Celeste scanned the info and selected an entry. She nodded at the screen.

"Hey guys, give me a hand." Celeste ducked under the console and yanked out some wiring.

"Uh," Starbuck blinked, puzzled, "What do you want us to do?"

"If you could get the microphone turned off, and Athena could try to tune the frequency of that comm. system, that would be great." Celeste's muffled voice came from somewhere under the console.

Athena shrugged at Starbuck, "She seems to know what she's doing."

"Yeah, too bad we don't." Starbuck mumbled as they set to work.

Athena turned a knob as she alternately pressed numbered buttons corresponding to the _Galactica_'s visual frequencies.

Starbuck sat down by the audio station looking a little lost. He experimentally tapped a few buttons, checked some instrument readings, and nodded confidently, "Piece of cake." Something on his panel sparked, and he stood up, waving the smoke off. Accurately guessing that the microphone system was no longer operating, he moved to watch what Athena was doing.

Athena watched her station screen switch between scenes of rooms in different parts of the ship. Suddenly she gasped, her finger hovering over the button she'd just pressed.

"There's a fire in Alpha bay!" she cried.

Celeste's face appeared. She grinned, "Perfect!"

"Perfect?" Athena yelled, "What's so perfect about it? Last time that happened we nearly lost the _Galactica_!"

"I know," Celeste nodded, "But it won't happen this time because that," She pointed to the screen showing a raging fire in the bay, "_is _last time."

Athena stared at the screen. The image did look familiar.

"So…what…" Starbuck began.

"Am I doing?" Celeste finished for him, "I'm fabricating a little command challenge for our friend on the bridge." She stood up, "This should open up a nice window of opportunity for the special forces, a.k.a. us, to get in there and retake control."

"Nice," Starbuck remarked, "Draw attention away from the _real _threat by making a fake one!"

"Exactly," Celeste nodded, "Athena, transmit that image!"

"With pleasure," Athena grinned, enthusiastically punching the proper buttons.

On the bridge, this was creating a stir. A Cylon happened to notice the fire on one of the screens and brought Baltar's attention to it, its voice failing to sound at all interested.

"THERE IS A FIRE ON ONE OF THE LANDING DECKS."

Baltar looked up from his place in the commander's chair, the look of evil satisfaction he'd been indulging in wiped off his face, "What? Which deck?"

"ALPHA DECK."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Baltar yelled at the Cylons, "Get down there and stop it!"

"BY YOUR COMMAND."

Baltar sat in the chair uneasily now, clearly worried that his plan wasn't going completely as planned, "Moronic machines are sabotaging their own leader!" he muttered, "I told them not to hit any of the major systems. But did they listen?" He scowled, "If they don't get that fire taken care of, Cylon helmets will roll!"

Starbuck, Athena, and Celeste watched from beside the door as a group of Cylon centurions walked past on their way to the fire. They waited until the Cylons were out of sight and they could no longer hear the metallic boots clanking on the deck floor. Then Starbuck whispered, "Now what?"

Celeste's grin was downright feral, "We go in." She peeked inside very quickly and ducked back out, "There are ten Cylons in there and one unarmed Baltar."

"We'll take the Cylons," Starbuck half joked, "You can take the Baltar."

"That's insulting," Celeste hissed back, completely joking.

Athena shook her head, "Will you two knock it off? We need a real plan here!"

Celeste frowned, "We don't really have time for a good one."

"What about we fire on as many as we can from out here, then run in there, guns blazing, and take Baltar captive?" Starbuck suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Celeste fidgeted.

"Sounds awfully dangerous," Athena sighed, "But I guess it's a plan."

Celeste nodded and quickly crept across the doorway to the other side.

She and Starbuck crouched, waiting, their nearly identical pairs of blue eyes locked in a look of complete understanding that passed between them. Simultaneously, they took deep breaths, nodded at each other, raised their guns, and fired into the bridge, trying not to hit any controls they might need later.

Athena held her breath, watching them and wishing she had a blaster, herself.

Starbuck ducked back out of the doorway, dodging a blast from the interior of the bridge. Celeste did the same as a volley of blasts followed the first one.

"Four down." Celeste announced.

Inside, they could hear Baltar yelling, presumably from a relatively safe hiding spot, "Get them you fools! Don't just stand there!"

Two Cylons obediently came out. Both were inertly blocking the doorway a micron later. Two more came out, this time firing incessantly. Athena cried out as she ducked to avoid the fire, Starbuck flattened next to her.

"Athena!" Starbuck finished the Cylons and turned to her.

Athena smiled urgently at him, "I'm okay, I just tripped."

Blinking concernedly at her, Starbuck nodded and rejoined his sister at the doorway. Celeste was firing away; she almost seemed to be enjoying herself. She couldn't help but grin when the last Cylon on the bridge stopped firing forever.

"Okay, Baltar, we've got you surrounded!" Starbuck yelled, "Surrender if you want to live!"

"You wouldn't kill me!" Baltar's voice stammered.

Celeste stepped through the doorway, despite Starbuck's attempt to stop her.

"Why not?" She asked coldly, "You killed _me_."

"No…" Baltar stared at her from his place behind a console, "You…you can't…how…aagh!" He gave up on words and pushed himself across the floor as far away from Celeste as he could get.

"I saw you die!" He exclaimed finally, as if telling her would make it true and make her go away.

One side of Celeste's mouth curved up, but her eyes remained hard, like blue steel, "I'm not going to deny what you saw it if that's what you want."

"That's…not what I want." Baltar said with false deference, "What I want…isn't as important as what you want! What…what is it you want? I'm sure we can come to an agreement…"

"As if you didn't know," Celeste scoffed, "Even _you_ aren't _that_ dense."

"What?" whimpered Baltar.

"I want revenge," Celeste paused for effect, unnecessary as far as Baltar was concerned, "for the human race."

"Um," gulped Baltar.

"And I want your golmonging Cylons out of our space!" Celeste waved her gun around, somehow managing to keep it pointed at Baltar.

Celeste called, "Guys, come fly this thing!"

Baltar inched backward, his hand brushing something; a metal object lying near a fallen Cylon. He suppressed an evil grin.

Athena and Starbuck came onto the bridge. Athena went right to her station, while Starbuck stayed off to the side, holding his gun on Baltar.

Baltar smiled confidently, but still somewhat shakily, "You aren't going to shoot me." He started to bring the object he'd found around in front of him.

"Wanna bet?" Starbuck fired, the object falling from Baltar's hands to the floor. It was a Cylon rifle.

At Celeste's questioning look, Starbuck held up a hand, "I just stunned him. Let's tie him up before he wakes up."

Celeste shook her head, "What is it with me? Every time I get near that man, my better judgment goes out the viewglass!"

"You _have _better judgment?" Starbuck teased innocently.

"Starbuck!"

Athena called from her console, "Not to break the mood here, but I can't fly this whole battlestar myself! I need some help!"

"Right after we stash Baltar," Starbuck promised, opening a closet door.

A bunch of bridge officers unexpectedly fell out. They landed in a blue and tan heap on the bridge deck.

Celeste raised her eyebrows. She looked across the room at Athena, "Help has arrived."

"Are they…"Athena asked.

Bending down to examine one, Starbuck shook his head in disbelief, "They weren't killed. I don't know why but they're still alive!"

"This senton gets weirder and weirder," Celeste remarked, "Okay, well, get them all untangled and let's wake them up. We've got a battlestar to fly!"

¤

Apollo, Zac, Boomer, and Qasha stepped over the unconscious Peacemakers that had been guarding the _Rising Star_'s bridge. They looked around at the consoles and controls, checking to make sure the perimeter was secure.

"That was almost too easy," Apollo said skeptically.

Zac shrugged, "As Starbuck would say, why argue with luck? Especially if it's good."

"Still, I think we need to be careful in case more show up." Apollo replied.

Boomer nodded, "I agree." He looked around at the bridge, "Now, who knows how to fly this thing?"

"I could."

The men turned to look at Qasha. She stared back calmly, "It doesn't look too different from the Terran freighter I used to fly."

"By all means," Apollo gestured to the main helm console, "Go to it."

A gasp came from Zac's general direction.

"Guys…you're not going to believe this!" He was staring at a security scanner screen that alternately showed different levels of the ship. He paused it and motioned for Apollo and Boomer to come.

They came. Boomer's mouth dropped open, "I don't believe it!"

"They did it." Apollo almost smiled.

The screen showed a group of civilians tying up a bunch of Peacemakers. The civilians were led by none other than Reese. Zac let the screen cycle through the levels again. On each deck, the images were the same. Somehow, Reese and Darit had organized a ship wide revolt! And it was working!

"Look! Dad and Colonel Tigh are headed up here!" Zac pointed. Sure enough, the two commanding officers were headed out of a turbolift toward the bridge. And several of the _Galactica's _bridge crew was with them.

Only microns later, Tigh's head peeked into the bridge doorway. "Looks safe in here, Commander." He said, putting a gun back into a holster he wore. Commander Adama and the others followed him in. Apollo and Zac went to their father.

"Are you all right?" Zac asked.

Adama smiled at his youngest, "Yes, Zac, I'm fine." He too wore a holstered blaster, and his usually immaculate blue bridge uniform had become somewhat soiled during the action. He looked around the bridge, "We came here to regain control of the ship, but it looks as though it was already in good hands."

"It was too easy," Apollo shook his head, "Something doesn't feel right. They had this planned so well, and now all the sudden we are defeating them?"

"That does seem a bit convenient." Rigel said. Zac smiled at her, glad she was okay. Though her manner was completely businesslike, she managed a small, tight, yet sincere smile back at him.

"Now that you mention it," Tigh nodded thoughtfully.

Zac glanced distractedly toward the security screen, "It does feel as though someone flipped a switch."

"Precisely why we need to take advantage of this situation while we have it," Adama pointed out, "Any word yet from the _Galactica_?"

Rigel, now sitting at the comm. console, adjusted her headset and shook her head, "None yet, sir. Just automated reports…wait." Her eyes rose worriedly, "There's a distress call from a _Galactica _shuttle!"

"A distress call? All the shuttles had landed before the attack began!" Tigh cried.

Frowning, Rigel bit her lip, "Actually, it's not so much a distress call as a beacon. It keeps repeating."

"Put it on audio." Adama said softly, his voice strong.

The speakers crackled.

"_Galactica _shuttle _Theta_ to whomever can assist! The _Galactica _has invaded by Baltar and the Cylons! We tried to stop them but he stunned us and had us put in shuttles or locked in rooms. No telling what he has planned, but someone has to do something before it's too late!_ Galactica _shuttle _Theta_ to whomever can assist! The _Galactica _has invaded by Baltar and the Cylons! We tried to…"

At a gesture from Adama, Rigel switched the comm. off.

Zac suddenly came alive, "Well, we've got to get over there!" He tossed his dark brown hair, attempting to move an unruly lock out of his excited eyes.

"Hold on, Little Brother," Apollo put a restraining hand on Zac's arm, "I agree that something needs to be done, but we can't just fly over there in the middle of that firefight out there," He gestured toward the forward viewscreen. It showed a view of Vipers and Raiders spinning around each other, each force struggling for the upper hand. As always, where the Colonial pilots had skill and cunning on their side, the Cylons had sheer numbers on theirs, and would never get fatigued.

It was not a fair fight.

Even more poignant was the nearby presence of the strangely quiet battlestar, hanging darkly against a bright, yet cold, backdrop of stars.

A Viper exploded, a piece of its shrapnel damaging another Viper.

A decision was made in Apollo's mind. "Bronze Spar had more than two Vipers on the _Rising Star_." He mumbled decidedly, "Boomer! You're with me."

"Apollo!" Zac and Adama said at the same time.

Adama looked Apollo in the eye, "Son, do you really think it's a good idea to put Boomer and yourself into the middle of that?"

"Of course not," Apollo said in a strained voice, "But someone's got to do something. And I feel like…it has to be me."

"I want to go with you!" Zac argued, "You could use my help, and I want to help you got those golmonging…" he glanced guiltily up at Adama's disapproving glance and switched his remark to, "I want to help save the fleet!"

"Zac," Apollo said softly, "You two are the only members of my family who I know are reasonably safe. I want you to stay that way."

Zac looked resentfully at the floor.

"But if something happens," Apollo continued, "I want the _Rising Star _and all her passengers to have the best possible protection. Who could I trust more for the job than my brother?"

Slowly, Zac raised his head and peered at Apollo through his floppy hair, "Do you mean that?"

"Every word," Apollo said sincerely.

Zac smiled a little and saluted, "You got it, Captain."

"Well, Boomer," Apollo turned to his longtime friend, "Guess we'd better go check out those Vipers."

As the two young men left the bridge, Boomer stopped, turned around, and declared, "We'll be seeing you."

At Apollo's sideward glance while they headed down the hall, Boomer shrugged, "Sorry, Captain. I couldn't resist."

¤

Starbuck turned to Celeste, "Your orders, Acting Commander?"

"What?" Celeste asked, a bit indignantly, "When did I become Acting Commander?"

"Well, I just figured since you were the only one of us who has ever had command experience…and Athena suggested it." Starbuck grinned sheepishly.

Celeste shook her head, "Well, I hope it doesn't go on my record that I abandoned my post."

"Why would it?" Athena asked warningly.

"Because," Celeste finished charging her gun from a computer terminal and holstered it, "I still have a mission to accomplish."

Athena blinked, "Celeste, we have the _Galactica_, for the moment anyway! What…" She opened her eyes wide, "You aren't thinking of rejoining that bloodbath out there are you?"

"No," Celeste shook her head, "I may be crazy, but I'm not suicidal. Hey, Starbuck, see if you can help out with that fight out there. This think has laser cannons, I know."

Starbuck nodded, "I'll start charging them up."

"Hmm," Celeste said thoughtfully, "I wonder if Apollo has the _Rising Star _yet. See if you can get them on the comm., Athena. But be sure to encode it so the Peacemakers can't understand it if they're still holding court on the _Rising Star's_ bridge."

Athena nodded and began working on the comm.

"Oh," Celeste turned back to Athena, "And you're in charge, Acting Colonel Athena."

Athena's small smile was slightly laughing as she punched buttons and read her screen. She paused to give Celeste a more solemn look, "Good luck, Lieutenant. Take care of yourself."

"Wait! You still haven't told us what you're doing!" Starbuck cried from the weapons console.

Celeste raised her eyebrows, "Keeping a promise."

Then she was out the door and down the hall striding towards the turbolift.

"Keeping a promise…" Starbuck narrowed his eyes in thought.

Athena again looked up from her screen, "Starbuck?"

Starbuck's anxious eyes met Athena's calm ones.

The young woman smiled soothingly and not just slightly worriedly at Starbuck, "Don't worry about her. She'll be all right. She always is."

Starbuck looked away, "I wish she'd told us where she was going."

"Where do you think she's going?" Athena asked, "What promise did she make?"

Starbuck snapped his fingers, "Boxey! I'll bet she went looking for Boxey!"

"Then there's no need to worry," Athena said matter-of-factly, "She's an expert now at finding kids on ships and rescuing them."

"Ah, even still," Starbuck said, "I'd feel a lot better if she wasn't alone."

Athena gave him an authoritative glare, "Nu-uh, mister! You are staying right there. Acting Commander's orders. Remember? Besides, those pilots out there need you. Now get those cannons charged and ready!"

Starbuck sighed, but he was grinning in an amused way, "Yes, Sir."

Athena looked up one more time, "And don't call me 'sir'."

¤

Boomer and Apollo flew their Vipers toward the dark battlestar, trying to stay on the skirts of the main fight. They fired on Cylon fighters whenever they had a clear shot at it.

As they lined up with the _Galactica's _Alpha Bay, they noticed a group of Cylon centurions inside.

"It's worse than we thought, Boomer." Apollo gasped, "They've probably got the whole ship occupied!"

The Cylons saw the Vipers coming in. They raised their pulse rifles and fired at the ships, but their rifles were no match for a Viper's protective shielding.

"Do we risk firing at them in there?" Boomer asked.

"How good a shot are you?" Apollo said seriously.

Boomer sighed decidedly, "With your permission, Captain, I'd like to try."

Apollo's voice replied, "Good luck."

Very carefully, Boomer moved his Viper into alignment with the bay, then locked his targeting computer onto the Cylons. He pressed the firing button and deployed the landing gear at the same time.

The explosion was smaller than either pilot expected, and only resulted in a charred scar where the Cylons had been standing only moments before.

"They never saw it coming!" Boomer said incredulously.

"Good work," Apollo told his friend, "Now, let's go find out what's going on." _And why I felt so strongly that I needed to be here._

Boomer's Viper landed ahead of him, briefly reminding Apollo of Celeste's first time landing a real Viper on a real Battlestar.

"Captain, look out!" Boomer shouted, too late.

Apollo's Viper lurched sideways as it was nicked by stray fire from the nearby daggit fight. Another laser bolt connected with one of the stabilizer jets. The Viper kept heading for the landing bay, but was now at a crazy angle that refused to be corrected no matter what Apollo did.

Ahead, Apollo saw Boomer getting out of his Viper while watching Apollo's ship heading awkwardly towards him.

"Boomer! Clear the bay!" Apollo ordered, trying to at least slow the aircraft down and minimize the impact of the landing.

He saw Boomer in the turbolift, a concerned look on the lieutenant's face as he lifted out of sight.

Apollo braced for impact.

And woke up.

_It wasn't real. None of it. The Cylons, the _Rising Star_, the _Galactica_…all just a night-vision. _

_Wait a micron. If all that was a dream, where am I now?_

The darkness around Apollo began to resolve itself into shapes. Bright shapes. Familiar shapes, as though from a distant memory. Apollo blinked, trying to bring the shapes into focus. Then he blinked again for an entirely different reason. Disbelief.

A figure was coming toward him, floating across the shining floor as though walking on air. It was a beautiful woman, clothed in a shimmering, form-fitting silver-blue outfit that only accentuated her graceful stride with its sweeping, swirling skirt. She wore a matching shroud covering her head, but as she came closer, Apollo could see green eyes sparkling brighter than any part of her dress. His heart leaped into his throat as though instinctively unsure why a missing part of itself had suddenly materialized.

The woman removed the shroud and gently tossed her auburn hair. The tossing was not so much a movement in itself as a continuation of the shroud removal. She smiled a smile that Apollo had known he'd never see again as long as he lived.

So maybe he wasn't alive, because he couldn't be, if she was standing in front of him.

Serina.

"Hello, Apollo," She said calmly, with that charming, lovely accent of hers. She stood apart from him, though from the look on her face it wasn't easy. Love radiated from her very being; love and a deep, bittersweet sadness. Apollo's heart ached for her. Ached to take her in his arms and comfort that sadness from her pretty face. His heart ached, but his head still couldn't believe it.

"S…Serina?" Apollo gasped, "How…how can this be…" He looked around, finally recognizing his surroundings as one of the Ships of Light, like the one where he'd met John. He remembered the Cylon battle and his careening Viper, and the worried look on Boomer's face.

"I'm dead?" he asked.

"No," Serina shook her head slowly, looking down, "Merely waylaid. You are very much alive and will stay that way if I have anything to say about it." She sighed, "The only problem is that we can't interact with each other in the physical realm, since we aren't both on the same plane of existence." She lifted her eyes to meet his, her long eyelashes unveiling the twin pools of green, "It is good to see you again, up close, Apollo."

Apollo was having trouble getting his mouth to form words, "Serina…I've missed you so much…all these yahrens…" He stepped closer to her and tried to take her hand, though he knew it was impossible.

"I know," Serina kept looking up at him, "I've watched you all this time. All this time wishing we could be together again…except for what it would mean." She regarded him solemnly, "The fleet still needs you. Your family still needs you. It's selfish of me…"

"You're my family, too." Apollo pointed out.

Serina smiled slightly, "But I don't need you like the others do, as hard as it is for me to say that. I am safe now, nothing can harm me. I now can only watch as you all struggle for survival, knowing there's little I can do to help." She looked away and sighed, "But you know me, I can't just sit on the sidelines. Not when so much is at stake." Once again, her eyes connected with Apollo's, "So I brought you here. It was the only thing they'd let me do; bring you here and talk to you."

Apollo gazed into the clear eyes of his late wife. She seemed so alive, so real, just as she did when he last saw her, if not more so. But she wasn't alive. She was just a continuation of the spirit of Serina. A reflection of the woman he'd known.

Still, whatever it was that she had to tell him must be important.

"What did you want to talk about?" Apollo asked.

Serina gazed unblinkingly up at him, "You are still mourning for me. Your heart won't let go of the sadness. It hurts me to see you hurting so much, especially when you could be so happy."

"Happy?" Apollo asked, "How can I be happy when the love of my life is dead? Somehow, it doesn't feel right to be happy without you."

Serina's eyes looked like they'd very much like to water, "Don't you understand that's all I want? For you to be happy?"

Apollo found his eyes watering on Serina's behalf, "I can't just pretend nothing happened, Serina. I can't just forget you!"

A sad look came to Serina's face, "I'm not asking you to." She said softly, "I'm asking you to replace the hurt with something else. Make room in your heart for someone else. You may find that she needs you as much as you need her."

"Are you talking about Celeste?" Apollo asked, "Celeste's a good friend…"

"That you've been pushing away." Serina interrupted, "Because you're afraid. You're afraid of falling in love with her. You're afraid of losing her, too. And I can't say I blame you for worrying about her. But the truth is…" Serina took a breath. Technically, she didn't need to do this. However, there are times when no matter what level of existence you are on, you just have to inhale deeply.

"The truth is, I'm not supposed to be telling you this." Serina's voice was a near-whisper, "It's against the rules for us to disclose future events to you. But I think you ought to know…"

"What?" Apollo encouraged gently.

"Well," Serina began, "It's just that…whether or not you ever tell her how you really feel about her, you run the risk of losing her. And she deserves to know before…she should know. And you should admit it to yourself. It could be the difference between life and death."

Alarmed, Apollo tensed, "Why? What's going to happen?"

Serina stared at him sadly.

"Serina…" Apollo pleaded, "Tell me. What happens to Celeste in the future?"

"I can't tell you!" Serina cried. In life, at this point, tears would have been spilling down her cheeks, "All I can tell you is that you have to decide on your own what to do and when. The only advice I can give you is for you to let yourself be happy again. It's just that I know…I know so much depends on hard decisions. And I can see the results of those decisions. And you…you don't deserve any more heartbreak!"

"Does…she die?" Apollo asked haltingly.

"What?" Serina asked.

"Celeste." Apollo replied, "Does she die because of a decision I make?"

"So many outcomes!" Serina cried, "So many, many! So much heartbreak and sadness. But there's always hope. There are always possibilities."

Serina and the glowing Ship of Light began fading out, "So many…but it's too good to end…and not like that…it can't end…"

"Serina! Don't go!" Apollo cried, "Come back! No!"

"He's coming to!" said a voice.

"Thank Kobal!" said another voice.

Apollo opened his eyes to see the _Galactica _sickbay, once again losing Serina, but gaining a lot of other familiar faces.

"What?" he sat up, "What happened?"

"You landed your viper sideways." Starbuck said, "I think you were trying to pull a Celeste on us."

"Thank goodness you're all right!" Athena cried.

"Celeste…" Apollo mumbled. He looked around at the faces. Starbuck, Athena, Cassiopeia, and Boomer, "Celeste! Where's Celeste?"

¤

_Where am I? _Celeste thought in the darkness. Wherever she was, it was hot and dark. Every once in a while, a small spark flew like an ominous shooting star in the shadows. From all around was the sound of machinery: grinding, metallic groaning, as if it had been in continual use for many hundreds of yahrens. Which, it had.

Suddenly, a light flared up about ten feet in front of Celeste, startling and momentarily blinding her. The light seemed to be accompanied by a harshly blowing wind, somewhat like a Viper engine. It also was hot like a viper engine. However, it most disconcertingly was silent, quite _un_like a Viper engine.

The light diminished somewhat, leaving an unfortunately familiar humanoid standing illuminated from below.

"Baltar!" Celeste blinked, "You're supposed to be in a closet!"

Baltar leered at her, "Correction, I am supposed to be in the _Galactica_'s brig. Your friends moved me there shortly after you left so suddenly."

Celeste gave him a disbelieving glare.

"Funny how this doesn't _look _like the _Galactica_'s brig. They must have redecorated," she said dryly.

Baltar's twisted expression seemed even darker than usual. The maniacal look was gone from his eyes; replaced by a sinister evil of indescribable depth. Gone was the cowardice usually simmering so near the surface of Baltar's seedy exterior. The difference in the man set off alarms in Celeste's head.

"Actually," Celeste frowned cockily, "This looks more like an engine maintenance access way than any kind of brig."

"Quick deduction," Baltar's voice oozed.

Eyes narrowed, Celeste continued to glare. Her eyes had already adjusted to the lack of light. She dropped her eyelids sarcastically, "And you're obviously not Baltar."

"Baltar" grinned again, this time even more evilly than before, "Clever girl."

"So the question that all this leads to," Celeste crossed her arms, "Is who are you and why have you brought me here?"

The man-being's eyes shone with the light of a million Vipers burning, "My name is not of consequence. I have brought you here because you are searching for something, and I can help you find it. I know all your deepest desires, and I can help you obtain them."

¤

"How are you feeling?" Cassiopeia asked Apollo, ignoring his question.

Apollo sighed, his face distraught, "I feel fine, but where is Celeste?"

Starbuck and Athena exchanged glances. Boomer cleared his throat. Cassiopeia smiled superficially and politely excused herself, moving to another patient.

Suspiciously, Apollo turned his questioning attention onto Athena, Boomer, and Starbuck before they could escape. He stood up from the bed, pleased to note only stiffness in his limbs, and put on his most authoritative captain face.

"Where's Celeste?" he repeated, allowing a hint of concern to enter his stern voice, "And no more excuses. I want a straight answer."

"That's just it, Captain." Boomer finally replied, "We don't have a straight answer. She seems to have vanished."

"What do you mean?" Apollo demanded, glaring at Starbuck, "You were supposed to keep an eye on her!"

"It's not his fault!" Athena cut in, "I was there, too. We tried to stop her, but you know how she gets!"

Apollo closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded, swallowing, "Do you have any idea where she went?"

Athena looked down, "She said she was going to 'keep a promise'."

"Boxey." Apollo whispered.

"That's what we figured, too." Starbuck replied, "But we've had people searching the _Galactica _top to bottom, and can't find either of them on board!"

"And no ships have launched since she disappeared," Boomer added, "As far as anyone can tell, she disappeared."

"They have to be somewhere." Apollo argued. He brightened, "Wait, Muffit has a homing device! If we find Muffit, he could lead us to Boxey, and maybe even Celeste!"

"We thought of that." Athena said sadly. She snapped her fingers. Whirring and whining, the robotic daggit clanked into the room. Even though Muffit was a robot, he seemed to be missing Boxey.

"He was locked in a utility closet," Athena explained, "We told him to find Boxey…"

"Which led us on a wild chase from one end of the battlestar to the other," Starbuck added.

Athena continued, "At the end of which, he barked, turned in a circle, and started whining. He hasn't stopped since."

"What's the matter, Muffy? Where's Boxey?" Apollo asked.

The daggit whined, wagged his tail at Apollo, and lay with his head on his paws. He looked the way Apollo felt.

"We could have the crew look again…" Starbuck's suggestion trailed off.

"No," Apollo shook his head, "If they're not on board, they're not on board. We'd be wasting everybody's time having them search again." He sighed, "They're probably busy with repairs right now anyway." He looked at his friends, "Starbuck, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, about you keeping an eye on Celeste."

"Ah, it's okay." Starbuck waved dismissively, "I can't blame you for reacting that way."

For all of Starbuck's nonchalance, Apollo could tell that the pilot was deeply concerned about his sister and Boxey. Celeste seemed a magnet for bizarre situations, and who knew what she'd gotten herself into this time.

"It's not your fault she disappeared, guys." Apollo told them, mainly aiming his remark at Starbuck, "We all know she's not an easy person to keep track of."

"Yeah." They agreed, looking at the floor.

_At least they don't know what Serina told me._ Apollo thought, _It would only worry them more. It sure scares the felgercarb out of me._

Athena shifted her feet, "I've…got to get back to work. If you'll excuse me?" She tried to smile at the men and turned away to avoid sharing any troubled facial expressions with her brother. Smartly executing an about-face, she marched out of the Life Center.

Boomer sighed, "Well, I hear a drink at the Officer's lounge calling my name. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome."

"I'm in." Starbuck said emphatically, "That sister of mine drives a man to drink!"

"You'd have gone, Celeste or no Celeste." Boomer pointed out.

Starbuck considered this.

"True," he admitted. He turned to his captain, "Apollo, you coming?"

Apollo looked up from whatever private thoughts he'd been having, "Uh, yeah, sure."

He followed his friends out of the Life Center, still thinking.

_There is always hope. There are always possibilities._

¤

In a dark engine access way, Celeste and a strange man-being stood facing each other.

Celeste nodded, "Ahh, and you just want to help me out of the goodness of your heart, is that it?" Her voice was sarcasm saturated, and yet to the untrained person, sounded completely serious.

"Naturally, I have my own personal reasons," the man-being said, "I did choose you from your entire race because I recognized in you the abilities and knowledge necessary to surpass your own race, your own reality! You do not even know the power you could wield! The power you already possess!"

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Celeste said firmly, "But I like my race and reality just fine the way they are, and I'm not interested in surpassing them."

"Of course not," the man-being smiled, if anything getting eviler by the micron, "Not yet. But once you see how much you can do…not just for yourself, but for the entire universe…I think you may change your mind." He gave her a knowing look, "This is your chance to make a difference, just like you've always wanted!"

Celeste theatrically rolled her eyes, "Puh-lease. Do you really think that whole 'I know what you've always wanted and I'm going to give it to you free of charge' thing will work on me?" She gave him a decisive glare, her eyes glowing darkly, "Whatever evil plot you've got going will have to exclude me!"

"Come on, Celeste." He moved toward her, "I have never given you reason not to trust me."

"Huh," Celeste gave him a disdainful look, "Sure sounds convincing coming from a guy who's taken the form of the traitor to my race."

"Oh, is that what's bothering you?" the being asked soothingly, "I can fix that easily."

"Baltar" faded and morphed into a rather handsome young man in a _Galactica_ flight suit. At least, he would have been handsome had the look in his eyes not made you feel he would suddenly burst into flame and sprout horns.

"Does this make you feel more comfortable?" the being asked.

"I'd feel more comfortable on the _Galactica_ with you no where in sight." Celeste said dryly.

The being smiled, "Now now. In time you'll come to understand and appreciate me. In the meanwhile, aren't you looking for someone?"

From behind the man, Boxey suddenly ran from the darkness. He dashed right into Celeste's arms.

"Miss Celeste!"

Celeste hugged him, then looked distrustfully at the being, "How do I know he's not an illusion, too?"

"I assure you, the child is quite real," the being replied, "My name as my word."

"I don't know your name." Celeste retorted.

The being smiled eerily again, "You may call me…Erebus."

Boxey snuggled into Celeste's jacket. Celeste hugged him closer, still glaring, "Well if you're really so charitable, Erebus, tell me how we can get back to the _Galactica_."

Erebus smiled slowly, "You can go back any time you like. Just say the word."

Celeste opened her mouth.

"…but I think I should mention," Erebus interrupted her, "that if you return now, you will have no chance to help your friends."

Celeste crossed her arms, "I'm sure not doing them any good gabbing here with you."

Feigning nonchalance, Erebus glanced around the darkness, "Well, no, and of course it's your decision. It's just that…I can see into the future as well as the distant past. I know all and see all. I know about the Cylon invasion force camouflaged just behind the planet that the fleet is in orbit around. I know about the spies who even now wait on each ship in the fleet, ready to spring their trap. I can see the outcome of you returning now. You will simply be killed with the rest of them."

Boxey gasped. Celeste glowered at Erebus.

"But quite heroically, of course." Erebus added, "Though in the grand scheme of things, how you die doesn't really matter, does it?"

"All right, Erebus. Are you done scaring the kid now?" Celeste demanded.

Erebus blinked at her, "I apologize. I did not mean to alarm you. I simply wanted you to be aware of what's at stake."

Celeste sighed, "What's my other choice?"

"You could stay here with me, and together we could use our powers for the greater good of the galaxy." Erebus said. Celeste noted a hint of victory in his voice.

"And if I decide not to 'use my powers'?" Celeste countered.

A flash of red shone in Erebus' eyes, but vanished so fast that only Celeste's quick eyes could detect it. He purred, "Then you might as well return to your race's Armageddon."

_He wants a hostage._ The idea suddenly materialized clearly in Celeste's mind. She had learned to trust this inner voice; it often gave her valuable insight into situations. _For whatever reason, he wants a hostage. And you can bet it's not a good reason._

Celeste stared right at Erebus, her eyes matching his flame-for-flame. Where Erebus' eyes were dark, deep, and soulless; Celeste's were sparking and full of a determination that comes with a heart that has seen much of life, and still strives to protect it.

"Fine." Celeste growled, "If you can send the two of us back easily, you could send one of us back more easily." She turned to Boxey, "Can you do something for me?" Celeste asked the boy, "Can you go back to the _Galactica _and tell your dad not to worry about me?"

Boxey nodded, then almost smiled, "That's a big job. Dad'll want to worry really bad."

Celeste smiled at him sadly, "I know, but tell him I've got something important to do and that…" she glanced up at Erebus, "That I'll be back as soon as it's possible."

The boy looked up at Celeste with big round eyes, "You're not coming back?"

"I'm coming back!" Celeste said firmly, "Now…you have your orders."

Boxey nodded, "Okay…okay Miss Celeste." He sighed, a youthful wisdom shining in his eyes, "I'll miss you a lot."

Celeste bit her lip, "Take care, Boxey. I'll see you later." She turned to Erebus, "Okay, send him back."

Erebus shrugged, "If you insist, but he'd be safer here."

Boxey vanished.

Celeste stared at the spot where Boxey had been, "How do I know he's back?"

"Like this," Erebus held out a hand. A spot of light streamed through the darkness and grew until Celeste could see a scene playing in it. The familiar halls of the _Galactica _shimmered before her. Apollo was walking down the hall. As suddenly as he had vanished, Boxey appeared. Apollo rushed to him and squatted down. Though she couldn't hear what the captain was saying, Celeste could imagine that he was asking Boxey what happened, and if he was okay. Boxey looked up sadly at his father, and moved his lips quickly, no doubt rattling off what Celeste had told him to say. She watched Apollo's eyes close briefly, and his body language seemed to melt imperceptibly. He said something to Boxey, stood up, took his hand, and they walked out of the picture.

_Good, _thought Celeste, _he's safe now. _

"He would have been safe here with us," Erebus remarked, as though reading her mind, which he was, "Now the boy is in just as much danger as the others."

Celeste turned her intense gaze full blast upon Erebus, "Which is how much?" she demanded coldly.

Erebus' mouth twitched, "Agree to join me, and I'll tell you."

The young woman again took note of the hollow expression, false friendliness, and thinly-veiled unrestrained evil that the man-being displayed. She shook her head, "I won't agree to anything with someone I know nothing trustworthy about."

Erebus laughed an awkward, abrupt laugh. It sounded as though it had lain forgotten and unused for many yahrens. It seemed to have popped up unexpectedly from deep inside him and caught him by such surprise that he hadn't had time to dust it off before it exploded from his mouth.

"Of course," Erebus purred, "I would feel the same way in your position." He walked to a wall and looked at a hidden panel. It opened. He winked and a button depressed. The wall moved, revealing a very large viewglass. Suddenly, before them lay a cloud of shiny particles, floating in a nebula. Each one in turn caught the light from the golden nebula gases, sparkling and glowing like the celebrated sea plankton of Aquarius.

A feeling of deep despair and overwhelming tragedy came over Celeste. She realized it was somehow caused by the pattern of the sparkling, as though she had seen it before somewhere. Sometime. As though she had been there, seeing that very sparkling, at a time when it had meant something ominous and inevitable.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly," Erebus said grandly, his voice dropping in pitch and his outfit morphing.

At once, the voice clicked in Celeste's brain. At once, she knew what she was looking at and who she was with. At once, the feeling of dread that had been flitting through her gut settled down and set up housekeeping. It was rubble from a future battle. The nebula was not a nebula at all, but gases from over two-hundred ships simultaneously destroyed. And Erebus…

"The Imperious Leader's voice." Celeste choked, "You're the one from history. The one who caused the destruction of the organic Cylons and the uprising of the machines."

"Yes," Erebus nodded smugly, "You figured it out. Hmm, much faster than I had anticipated." He gave Celeste a thoughtful look, "That's good. Very good indeed."

"Why?" Celeste demanded again, "What is it good for? What are you planning? Why do you want me?"

With a blank look, Erebus replied calmly, "Because though you are not aware of it yourself, I know the power you could wield. I've seen it. In the future."

Suddenly another "portal" appeared in the air. It showed Celeste…but not Celeste. Same girl, but her eyes shone with a black light and her eyebrows were set low in perpetual anger. The most remarkable difference however, was the alter-Celeste's surroundings. The other Celeste was leading a Cylon garrison through some trees. Familiar trees. From the nightmare.

Celeste backed away in horror.

"Well," Erebus said casually, "one of your futures. One of the few where you lived to grow old."

Saying nothing, Celeste seethed.

"One of the few," Erebus continued relentlessly, his voice growing more edgy "where you decided to join me. To play for the winning team."

"No!" Celeste shook her head, still eying the image of her evil alter-self, "It's a trick! I'd never join you! None of me would!"

"Really?" Erebus cooed, "Not even to save your friends?"

"How could betrayal," Celeste spat, "of everything and everyone I love and stand for 'save my friends'?"

"Watch." Erebus pointed to the "portal", which changed to a scene near the _Galactica_. Blue Squadron was putting up a valiant fight against invading Cylon fighters. But there were too many Cylons. The warriors didn't stand a chance.

"This will happen in about, oh…" Erebus pretended to check a timepiece, "20 centons."

"I've got to get back!" Celeste cried, watching the Cylons destroy viper after viper, then move to directly attacking the fleet and the _Galactica_.

Erebus rolled his eyes, "All right, but I've told you. You'd only be killed yourself."

"Better to die fighting than stay up here watching my family and my people die!" Celeste snapped angrily, her face already working on turning red.

"I don't think you fully understand the situation," Erebus sighed, "But you will. While I cannot force you to join me against your will, I can try to persuade you."

"What do you-ah!" Celeste doubled over as a wave of energy originating in Erebus' hand hit her in the gut. His eyes sparked evilly and hit her again.

"I tried asking nicely, Lt." Erebus frowned at her with mock regret, "But you forced me to my last resort. Then again, you always did have to do things the hard way, didn't you?" He knocked her legs out from under her. "And I can be quite persuasive."

She stood up again and glared at him. He fired more energy at her.

Moving quickly, Celeste leapt backward into the darkness, landing softly on a metal beam that supported the structure of whatever vessel they were on. She fired her blaster at him, but the blaster bolt went right through him as he shimmered from one form to another and back.

Erebus held his hand wider. A beam of energy blasted from it, this time engulfing the entire room. Unable to dodge this one, Celeste was hit by the blast and fell from her refuge, striking the ground only feet away from Erebus. A more powerful blast from him paralyzed her, sending her into spasms of pain. Erebus strode up to her and with one hand levitated her shaking body to his eye level. She still glared at him, her eyes defiant, refusing to acknowledge the pain and the defeat.

"Always the rebel, eh, _Isis_?" Erebus turned her onto her back. The lights came on in the dark room, revealing an object that Celeste hadn't noticed before.

The machine. Rebuilt.

Mental impulses to fight ran through the female pilot's nervous system, desperately trying to recruit any body functions they could. But Erebus only tightened his contactless grip. Celeste's eyes started to roll back in her head with the effort of staying conscious.

"Now, now, Lt." Erebus chided mockingly, "It may look like that dreadful torturous machine you had to endure for yahrens while you were captured, but I assure you, it is not. This is an upgrade. Now, the process of psychological change is greatly sped up! It only takes a few centares."

Erebus moved the immobile Celeste into the box attached to the machine, "Of course, in order to do that we had to make it exponentially more intense…but if you survive, you will prove the superiority of the organic mind. And you will also prove that my reason for bringing you here was justified. Destiny, my dear Lt, is inescapable."

Dulled with pain, Celeste's mind began to wish that it _could _lose consciousness as the man-being's words sunk in. Tears of desperation and effort slipped from Celeste's unmoving, unblinking eyes, the blue ice melting.

The lid to the box closed over her.

And suddenly, all of the atrocities of the Thousand Yahren war, and throughout history and all of time, were in the box with her. They were as if she were experiencing them firsthand, just like before, only much faster. As the disturbing images and feelings blitzed her mind, Celeste refused to give in to them. At the same time, she instinctively knew she couldn't last "a few centares" in this machine.

Erebus felt her despair and thrived on it.

¤

Staring out the viewglass at the brilliant starfield outside the _Galactica_, a man waited. He'd just received news that his estranged daughter had disappeared into the night without a trace. His dark eyes kept watching the sky for any sign of her, while his mind was busy dealing with regret.

A young officer walked past. He stopped and glanced at the man by the viewglass.

"Chameleon?" the officer said questioningly.

The older man turned, "Starbuck, good to see you. How're things going?"

Starbuck paused, "Pretty good, actually, We moved away from the planet, and the Cylons retreated. Shuttles are getting people home. The wounded are being treated," he shrugged, "Things are getting back to normal." He smiled, but Chameleon could see the sad glint in his eyes.

The ex-wagerer nodded, "It does seem that way, yes."

Both men stood for a while in awkward silence, both sensing that the other was troubled, but neither willing to ask what the other was troubled about. Starbuck and Chameleon simply stood together staring out the viewglass.

"So…" Chameleon tried breaking the quiet, "How is Captain Apollo?"

"Good," Starbuck nodded, staring a bit harder out the viewglass, "He found Boxey, so now at least _his_ family is safe."

Chameleon winced at the young man's words. Of course. Starbuck was worried about his sister; the only family he knew he had was Celeste.

"She'll be back." Chameleon said with more confidence than he felt, "After all, the ability to get out of scrapes is genetic."

"Ah, if it's as genetic as getting _into _them, she's in real trouble!" Starbuck tried to joke.

"Nah," Chameleon scoffed, half-thinking out loud, "She's a fighter. She can make it. She's smart, tenacious, and quick. Takes after her mother…"

Starbuck turned to Chameleon in surprise, "What did you say?" He gave the older man an intense look, "You knew her…our mother?"

Chameleon stopped short and stuttered, "Well, I just meant…I mean I guess she could have…just as easily could have been her father…"

"Chameleon…" Starbuck glared deliberately.

"Oh, Starbuck, don't pay attention to the mutterings of an old man," Chameleon recovered his composure and smiled charmingly.

Starbuck narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but didn't press it further. Instead he uncharacteristically let his momentary excitement fade.

"You really miss her, don't you?" Chameleon asked.

Starbuck nodded, "Celeste is all the family I've got."

As an avid gambler, Chameleon was used to bluffing, sometimes for long periods of time. But this bluff was quite frankly wearing him down.

"That's not entirely true…" Chameleon said quietly.

"Well," Starbuck relented, "There's Apollo and his family, and of course Boomer and the guys…but there's just something about being blood-related, you know?" Starbuck contemplatively stared at one particular star, " And she and I, we have a connection. We understand each other better than ourselves."

"It's wonderful to have family…" Chameleon began again.

Starbuck nodded, "It's even better when they're your friends."

The older man looked solemnly at his unaware son; his one remaining heir for all he knew; and sighed. It was almost as though the lieutenant was calling his bluff.

Celeste's brother had grown silent again, thoughtfully watching the stars go by.

For Chameleon, the heartfelt silence was harder to bear than the words. He, too, understood how it felt to be alone. "Starbuck…" Chameleon hesitated, wondering at how unfamiliar his own son's name felt on his lips.

Starbuck turned, "Yeah?"

Something out the viewglass moved. A star, but definitely not a real star. It was going the wrong way! It was moving toward the fleet at an incredible speed.

"What's that?" Chameleon cried as the "star" took on a vaguely sinister shape.

Starbuck looked and gasped, "Holy flying felgercarb!"

"It looks Cylon!" Chameleon nodded, "Not that I'm an expert, but it sure doesn't look friendly!"

"It's a Cylon troop carrier!" Starbuck exclaimed disbelievingly.

Chameleon looked nervous, "I think 'holy flying felgercarb' was a more accurate description!"

The battlestar erupted in klaxon bells and red flashing lights.

¤

Boxey had just finished telling Apollo all about his adventure.

"You're sure you don't remember anything else?" Apollo asked his son, "You don't remember anything that would help us find this place?"

Boxey shook his head, one hand stroking Muffit, "No, but we've got to do something fast, Dad! It looked like that guy wanted to kill her or something!"

"From what you've just told me," Apollo nodded in an unsettled way, "I believe it."

Just then, the _Galactica _went on alert.

And not long after, Blue Squadron launched to intercept an attack force, along with every other squadron in the fleet. The ensuing battle was vicious. Fighters were everywhere, firing on and even ramming each other. Every last fighter was in the air, including the _Lemonade_. It was flown by Captain Apollo with Starbuck at the laser cannon controls.

"Hey, Captain, it's hard to hit them when they're so close!" Starbuck shouted over the comm.

"I'm sorry, but they're everywhere!" Apollo replied, "Just do your best up there. I'll try to keep us from getting hit."

"I copy that." Starbuck said, "I just wish they'd hold still. I really don't want to hit one of ours by accident!"

Apollo was silent.

"Captain?" Starbuck strained to see down into the primary cockpit, while destroying a Cylon ship that was on a ramming course straight for them, "Apollo? You all right down there?"

"I…don't know." Apollo's voice sounded distant and distracted.

"Need me to take over?" Starbuck's finger hovered over the systems control toggle switch.

Apollo's voice returned, sounding normal again, "No, you keep on gunning down Cylons. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive. Don't worry about me, Starbuck, just keep on doing what you do."

Apollo shook his head, trying to understand the illogical urge he'd just experienced.

_Apollo, please don't ignore me._

Serina's voice was inside his head!

_Please, so much depends on it!_

_What do you want me to do? _Apollo thought back, escaping a Cylon strafing run and lining Starbuck up with more targets.

_I already told you. Go back to the planet._

Apollo spun the _Lemonade _out of the path of some laser fire. _That was you?_

_Yes, and you've got to hurry, too!_

_I can't go exploring right now, Serina! I can't leave in the middle of such a desperate fight, we're outnumbered enough as it is! _

_You must, Apollo, or all will be lost. _

_Serina…_

_Trust me!_

Apollo flew right between two Cylons and kicked in the turbos for a micron, blowing the raiders back and causing them to collide explosively.

_I do trust you. But I don't understand. _

_You don't have to, _came Serina's reply, _Just go, I'll help you whenever it's possible for me to do so. Please hurry, Apollo. So much depends on this…so much will be decided…the fate of the galaxy. And you have a chance to swing the balance in favor of the humans…but in a short while it will be too late…_

_Okay, okay, I'm going. I hope you know what you're doing._

_I do. I knew you'd go. We have faith in you up here, and we're all rooting for you. _

_That's good to know._

_And I love you Apollo. May the gods be with you today._

Apollo watchedStarbuck's lasers take out an enemy fighter in front of them, "Change in plan."

"Yeah?"

"We're going down to the planet."

"Way back there?" Starbuck cried, "Uh, all due respect, but now isn't the best time to go hunting for water!"

Apollo turned the _Lemonade _away from the fighting, "We're not hunting for water."

"What are we hunting for then?" Starbuck asked, firing off a few last shots into the mass of battling fighters.

Apollo sighed, "To be honest, I don't know. All I know is that I'm supposed to go there."

"Well, I'm with ya buddy." Starbuck replied, "I just hope you figure it out soon."

"So do I, Starbuck," Apollo set the vessel's course, "So do I."

The _Lemonade _landed in the canyon, within walking distance of the cave where the Cylons had their base.

"You brought your blaster, right?" Apollo asked.

Starbuck replied, "I don't leave home without it these days."

"Good," Apollo climbed out of his cockpit, "You may need it."

Starbuck joined him on the ground, "Any idea why?"

Apollo gazed around confusedly, "She hasn't told me yet."

"She?" Starbuck asked, "She who?"

"Serina," Apollo replied distractedly.

Starbuck's eyes widened, "Uh…Apollo…"

"Hmm?" Apollo looked up and noticed his friend's discomfort, "Oh, I'm sorry! You don't know about that. Do you remember when we encountered the ships of light?"

"Yeah, John and the rest."

"Well," Apollo explained, "Serina's with them now. She talked to me after my viper crashed, and then again when we were fighting out there."

Starbuck shook his head, "She always was good with timing." He started to put the pieces together, "So…Serina told you to come here, but she wouldn't tell you why?"

"All she kept saying was 'so much depends on it', on me coming here." Apollo frowned, "I can't shake the feeling that this all fits together somehow; the invasion, the Peacemakers, this planet, Celeste disappearing, and Serina, and now us landing here. There's so many unresolved questions. I feel like somehow, the answers are here."

"Now you're sounding like your father," Starbuck pointed out teasingly, "Celeste's got some competition for the job of commander."

Apollo blinked at Starbuck, "Celeste…when Boxey told me what happened to him he said that she'd been captured by a man he described as 'scary, powerful, and a liar'."

"Sounds like a typical bad guy," Starbuck remarked, leaning on the _Lemonade_, "but nothing Celeste couldn't handle."

"I haven't finished," Apollo looked gravely at Starbuck, "he also told me that the man was trying to get Celeste to join him in some evil plot. From the sound of it, he wasn't forcing her to come with him. Almost like it had to be her choice."

Starbuck's heart sank.

Apollo continued, "and the man could shapeshift."

At that, Starbuck leapt up, "Iblis!"

"That's what I thought, too." Apollo's eyes betrayed his deep worry.

Starbuck's hand went to his blaster. He looked as if he wanted to take on an entire Cylon basestar single-handedly, "If I could get my hands on him…" Starbuck spoke through clenched teeth.

"You'd have to take whatever was left over from me," Apollo said angrily, "But he's not our main concern right now. Celeste is."

Shaking with anguish, Starbuck nodded miserably, "Apollo, we've got to find her!"

"I know," Apollo replied, "I get the feeling we were meant to search for her here.:

"Well let's go!" Starbuck said, a bit louder than he'd planned.

Apollo nodded, "Let's get some supplies first. We don't know what shape she'll be in when we find her."

"_If _we find her," Starbuck bitterly retorted, "if we're not too late already. For all we know she's been vaporized."

Walking to the back of the converted shuttle, Apollo opened the rear hatch and went inside, "We can't think that way. She's got to be alive or why would we be here? Finding her is the only thing that fits."

Starbuck sighed, "As usual, you're right."

"Hey," Apollo handed Starbuck a supply pack, "I understand, I'm worried too. But we've got to think optimistically." Apollo clapped a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, "And if anyone could survive Iblis, it's your sister."

Starbuck smiled a little, "Hopefully some of her luck's rubbed off on us. We're gonna need it."

"Who needs luck?" Apollo shrugged, "We've got Serina."

Starbuck wasn't sure he was comforted by the help from the voice of Apollo's late wife. A voice that only Apollo could hear, no less. But in the absence of any better ideas, even the crazy ideas make some sort of sense. At least it was something to go on.

As the two pilots walked toward the cave, Apollo's mind was filled with thoughts of Celeste. Was she all right? Was she hurt? Trapped? Lonely? Was she fighting? Escaping? Or sleeping in a cold cell? Was she lying unconscious on a floor? Was she blowing something up? Was she homesick? Was she thinking about him?"

_You're just going to waltz in there looking like that? _Serina interrupted his thoughts.

_Do you have a better suggestion? _Apollo asked her.

_As a matter of fact…_

Starbuck's and Apollo's uniforms suddenly turned white, as well as all their gear.

"Huh?" Starbuck stopped.

"Relax," Apollo smiled, "Remember? The white is protective. The Cylons can't harm us as long as the aura surrounds us."

_Plus the aura hides you. I've made it so you'll appear invisible long enough to get in there undetected by the Cylons' scanners._

"And the Cylons won't be able to see us," Apollo told Starbuck, relaying Serina's information.

"Good," Starbuck replied, "because here we are."

Invisible or not, the two men walked as quietly as they could into the cave with their guns drawn. They hotwired the doors open and discretely strode into the Cylon base.

The Cylons glanced up from their workstations at the mysteriously open door, but seeing nothing immediately threatening to them, returned to their work. They had looked right at Apollo and Starbuck without so much as a monotone word.

Starbuck glanced upward in a silent "thank you" to Serina as the warriors both turned and headed down a corridor. Their disguises had passed the test.

As they hurried into a confusing labyrinth of dark hallways and junctions, Apollo kept his eye open for anything that could possibly be what he was supposed to be looking for. _Any help here would be welcome,_ he thought.

But the Serina-voice stayed silent.

Not far down the corridor, a door was open. There were no Cylons anywhere to be seen, yet Cylons do not typically leave their doors open when they enter or exit a room. The two men approached the open door cautiously and peeked inside.

The interior of the room was dimly lit. At the far wall was a projection of a rubble field that made the whole room feel as though it was floating through an old battlefield. Besides some old cargo crates, the room appeared to be empty. Always on their guard, Apollo and Starbuck stepped inside. Starbuck was tense and alert, blaster at the ready.

Suddenly and without warning, the door closed fast behind them.

Starbuck and Apollo whirled to face…nobody.

Apollo gestured to Starbuck to put his gun away. Reluctantly, Starbuck obeyed.

They both nearly jumped out of their boots as a voice came from nowhere.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed," the disembodied voice said, "Not that I ever doubted your abilities, but even for you this is an accomplishment."

"I know that voice. I could never forget it." Starbuck mumbled furiously, "Iblis!"

The voice continued regardless of Starbuck's realization, "No matter now, of course. I wish to congratulate you in entering my world. The world of shadows. Neither light nor dark, but using both to gain all you ever wanted. Here lies the source of unstoppable power. And you will learn to master it."

"We're not interested in power, Iblis." Apollo gritted his teeth.

"Where's Celeste?" Starbuck yelled, "Come out here and show yourself, you coward!"

Apollo gave him a "Starbuck, calm down" glare from his ample inventory, trying to counteract the lieutenant's verge-of-losing-it "don't mess with me" expression.

Iblis' voice remained disembodied as he ignored the men and continued his speech, "Now you can start your dominion. You can complete the work I began long ago. You will restore order to chaos. Your name will be remembered for all time, attributed to power, magic, and cunning."

"Name?" Apollo asked suspiciously, "not name_s_?"

Iblis again ignored him, "I have already made your name known throughout the universe in anticipation of this moment, even to the far reaches of space. Even to the world you know as Earth."

"I don't think he's listening to us," Starbuck said, somewhere between bitterness and resentment.

"I don't think he's _talking _to us." Apollo realized.

"There's no one else here!" Starbuck cried.

Apollo nodded, "I think it's a motion-sensitive recording. We probably tripped it when we came in here."

"Strange automatic recording," Starbuck remarked.

Apollo agreed.

Iblis' voice seemed more grandiose now, "Yes, even on Earth they worship and respect you. Through the millennia they shall never forget your name…Isis."

"Isis…" Apollo repeated, "Isis!" his eyes opened wide, "Starbuck, the day Celeste arrived on the _Galactica_, she told Boxey that Isis was what her old squadron called her!"

Starbuck's body didn't seem to know what to do with the pent-up energy or the information, so it experimentally combined the two. The result was an explosion of hand gestures and facial expressions in a sequence that is pointless to try to describe; only Starbuck has ever managed to pull it off successfully anyway.

"Isis! Celeste…that doesn't make sense! Why would Iblis be talking to Celeste at us? She's not even here!" Starbuck looked frantically around the room as if to make his point that the room was empty besides the two men.

Apollo's mental wheels were turning, "She was meant to be the one who tripped the sensor, not us! This is some kind of trap that was set for her."

Feeling overwhelmed, Starbuck sat down on a cargo box to think, "That still doesn't make sense. You told me that Boxey said she was _with _Iblis! Why would Iblis trap Celeste in a room so he could tell her how wonderful she was? Why wouldn't he just tell her to her face?" Then something dawned on Starbuck, "Come to think of it, why would _Iblis _tell Celeste she was wonderful at all? She's not exactly the epitome of evil. Unless…"

"No." Apollo cut him off, "People have to choose to join Iblis remember? Celeste would never do that."

But Starbuck remembered the darkness hiding deep in his sister's shining eyes, and the memory unsettled him, "He did bedazzle Sheba."

Apollo sighed, "Sheba was desperately searching for a father figure in her life. Iblis was able to use that to manipulate her."

"And Celeste doesn't have any weaknesses he could exploit?" Starbuck demanded sarcastically.

"You know not in the same way," Apollo said, his words certain, "Celeste is _not _Sheba."

_You're right, Apollo, _thought Starbuck, _Celeste wouldn't claim to love you one day only to run off with some old space cruiser she met on an asteroid the next. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned Sheba. _Starbuck shook his head, "Well, if this recording was meant for Celeste, where is she?"

Apollo looked down in thought. Then he froze, "Starbuck, stand up!"

"What? Why?" Starbuck stood quickly.

The captain rushed to the box Starbuck had been sitting on, "This box has ventilation tubing! Help me get it open!"

Together, the two pilots lifted the heavy lid and moved it aside. Oxygen-rich steam floated out and hung in the air around their feet.

They both gasped.

…_to be concluded…_


	5. Part 5

Last time on Battlestar Galactica…

Apollo looked down in thought. Then he froze, "Starbuck, stand up!"

"What? Why?" Starbuck stood quickly.

The captain rushed to the box Starbuck had been sitting on, "This box has ventilation tubing! Help me get it open!"

Together, the two pilots lifted the heavy lid and moved it aside. Oxygen-rich steam floated out and hung in the air around their feet.

They both gasped.

And now the exciting conclusion…

Inside the box, the tense features of a person could be made out in the steam. Apollo and Starbuck tried to wave aside the steam to disperse it.

And there was Celeste. Her whole body was tight and shaking, her eyelids twitching and her lips moving. Her face was wet with salty tears, and her uniform was blotched with sweat. But to Apollo and Starbuck, she'd never looked more beautiful.

She was alive.

Gently, Apollo reached into the box and brushed a fresh tear from her cheek, trying to hold back his own, "What have they done to you?"

"I can't believe I didn't recognize this box!" Starbuck kicked the lid, "I spent enough time in it! Looks like it's been modified though."

Celeste began coughing as her lungs encountered normal air. Her breathing became more labored.

"We've got to get her back to the _Galactica_," Apollo said urgently, "Help me get her out."

Ever so carefully, they lifted her out and set her on the floor. Apollo put a life mask on her and gently lifted her up, "While I'm holding her I won't be able to shoot, so you're the bodyguard," he told Starbuck, "Take my gun as well as your own. Hopefully our uniforms will hide her, too, but they may not."  
"Understood, Captain." Starbuck took both blasters.

Together at last, the three warriors left the room.



"I've never seen that kind of ship before," Athena whispered to Omega. They were on the bridge of the _Galactica_, monitoring the fighter fight. The mid-size oval ship glided silently and swiftly toward the fleet. The pattern of windows and jets on top of the ivory silver ship resembled a death's head. In front, a large gaping hole disclosed the ship's sizable launching bay.

Omega leaned close to Athena so she would hear him, "It's a Cylon transport ship. They haven't been used in over a hundred yahrens."

Athena shook her head, "First a gunship, now this! Where are all these old ships coming from?"

Shrugging, Omega replied, "Beats me."

As small Cylon fighter craft emerged from the hole, the fight continued to intensify. It was looking grim, indeed for the Colonials. They were already tired from all the previous fighting. They were holding their own, but barely, as the tireless machines relentlessly attacked. The Cylons were not only targeting the battlestar and the fighters, but the civilian ships as well. Hope was diminishing with each laser strike.



"Do you remember the way out?" Apollo yelled to Starbuck. The Cylon base had grown very noisy very quickly. Cylons were tromping everywhere, making it difficult to avoid touching them accidentally.

Starbuck nodded, "This way!" he dashed sideways down a hall, trying to watch fore and aft at the same time, one gun pointed in each direction. Apollo was close at his side, holding Celeste. They rushed in this way down the corridor towards what they hoped was the exit.

Suddenly, a glistening silver wall of Cylons appeared ahead of them.

"Whoops!" cried Starbuck, halting.

The Cylons were blocking the way out.

Starbuck grinned nervously, "Your orders, Captain?"

Apollo gave a determined nod, "We can't risk trying to find a way around. We'll have to go through them."

"Right," Starbuck eyed the mass of chrome warily, "Here goes nothing." He let loose a barrage of laser fire from both guns straight into the Cylons, cutting a path through them. Before they could regroup, he hurried through, kicking the fallen centurions out of Apollo's way as he went.

Apollo was right behind him.

The gunfire had alerted the Cylons to trouble. The base began locking down. All around, doors began closing.

The two running pilots reached the last door as it was four feet to the ground. Starbuck ducked under, then helped Apollo roll Celeste under as the captain wriggled through.

"Watch her head!" Starbuck cautioned unnecessarily.

The door closed.

The men paused to take a breath.

"Now _that_," Starbuck gasped, "was a rescue!"

"Yeah," Apollo hugged Celeste close to himself and closed his eyes, telling himself gladly that she was safely in his arms. "Let's go home."

"You got it!" Starbuck began heading for the ship, "assuming we've still got one."

Apollo said nothing as he followed, noting the faint beating of the young woman's heart against his own. It seemed a physical manifestation of the feeling that they were very quickly running out of time.



Onboard the _Lemonade_, Starbuck and Apollo were racing home.

"I don't know," Starbuck mused, taking his turn in the main cockpit, "Now that I think about it, that escape was almost too easy. I mean, you'd think the Cylons would have noticed this thing landing right near their base."

"Maybe Serina hid it, too." Apollo's voice suggested doubtfully.

Starbuck sighed, "I just have this uneasy feeling. No Cylons came after us when we left the planet. I can't help wondering why."

"Because I told them not to," said a third voice. It was on the comm., but it sounded as though it was also right behind Starbuck.

Starbuck twisted around in the seat and his jaw dropped. Celeste was standing in the doorway between the main cockpit and the passenger/cargo hold.

"Celeste?" Starbuck and Apollo exclaimed at the same time.

"What are you doing on the comm.?" Apollo demanded, "You should be lying down!"

Starbuck recovered enough to ask incredulously, "And since when do Cylons listen to an order from you?"

Celeste looked at him. At least, she seemed physically to look at him, but her expression was blank. It was as though she wasn't looking at anything, or perhaps not anything in the _Lemonade_. "The answers will become clear to you as soon as you land."

Then Starbuck noticed her eyes. He stared into them. They were like shadowy holes leading to some lower dimension of thought and reason, as dark blue as nights in the Caprican countryside. They were captivating, but not in the same way they usually were. Gone was the glow of life, the spark of azure flame that had always inhabited them. In its place was emptiness. Only pure, dark emptiness.

Starbuck looked into the emptiness and despaired for his friend and sister. _The machine. She just came out of the machine. She'll recover, and she'll be fine. Starbuck, when did you become such a worrier?_ He chided himself, _that machine is hades, but she's been through hades before. With a little time and maybe a pyramid game or two, she'll be right as skywater._

Without blinking or saying another word, Celeste turned and went back into the hold, closing the door behind her. There was a click as she turned off her comm. unit.

"What was that all about?" Apollo asked.

Starbuck turned back around and ran a hand quickly though his hair, "Ahh, you know Celeste. Can't keep her out of a cockpit for long."

"I meant, what was she talking about."

Starbuck shook his head, wishing he could be rid of the feeling of foreboding that had sprung up in his head, "I guess we find out when we land."



"Starbuck, where are we going?" Apollo asked, breaking the lieutenant out of his thoughts.

Starbuck checked the heading, "The _Galactica_," he answered certainly, "Wait a micron…the heading's changed! I didn't change it!"

"You didn't? Who did?"

Fingers flying, Starbuck tried to get the ship's computer to give him information, "I guess the ship did. And…I can't reset the coordinates!"

"You mean that the _Lemonade _hijacked itself?" Apollo's voice sounded skeptical, "Where is it taking us?"

"Uh," Starbuck calculated the course. He blinked at the result and tried again. Same result. "Apollo, it's taking us back around that planet!"

"Send a distress signal to the _Galactica_ and keep trying to get control," Apollo ordered, "I'll see what I can do from up here."

"Yes, Sir," Starbuck replied. He switched off the comm. transmitter and muttered, "Why would this thing…" then he stopped as an idea hit him. "Celeste." He switched the comm. back on, "Apollo, what if Celeste has something to do with this? I mean…when she came up here she didn't seem herself."

"I was just thinking the same thing, why don't you go check on her?" Apollo suggested.

"Good idea." Starbuck unstrapped his safety belt and opened the door into the hold. He walked in, noticing that the lights had been dimmed.

He found Celeste, as he had suspected, hard at work on an access panel.

"Celeste, what are you doing?" Starbuck asked.

For a while, she ignored him. He thought she hadn't heard him until she suddenly looked up at him. Her vacant midnight eyes bored into his, seeming to look right through him. She said nothing, and momentarily returned to her work.

"Hey," Starbuck approached her, the hair on the back of his neck tingling, "It's me, Starbuck. You can tell me…maybe I can help."

"I do not require assistance." Celeste said, her voice completely void of emotion.

Against his intuition, Starbuck continued to move toward her.

She stiffened.

He took a step.

She paused.

He took a step.

And she whirled on him in a fraction of an eye blink, shoving him away from her, hard, without touching him at all. Her hand was more than five feet away, yet it was holding him against the ship's bulkhead.

"I said," she rumbled, "I do not require assistance."

She released him and watched the astonished man recompose himself.

Starbuck straightened his jacket and held up his own hand defensively, "Okay, okay, I won't try to _assist _you. But, Celeste…"

Without warning, she raised her hand again, this time grabbing Starbuck's throat and lifting him off the ground, yelling "Stop calling me that!"

"Why?" Starbuck gasped in frustration, "It's your name!"

"You are mistaken," Celeste hissed, "the inferior person you speak of no longer exists. She is gone, dead to the universe. I exist in her place; a superior being of limitless power and knowledge of the ancients. I command the dark forces of the universe, against which there will be no victory!" She dropped Starbuck unceremoniously to the floor.

Starbuck glared at her, "And you are?"

"My name," the woman answered, "Is Isis."

Starbuck couldn't resist remarking on her speech, "Well, you know what they say."  
The woman cocked her head menacingly.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Starbuck finished. His eyes ran to the panel she'd been working on.

Her eyes narrowed, following his gaze.

He gasped, "What are you doing?" Starbuck rushed to the panel and inspected her handiwork, "You're trying to set the self-destruct sequence!"

Isis strode up to Starbuck and whispered, "Why would I do a thing like that?" And she punched him, hard. Observing his state of unconsciousness, she rolled him out of her way and continued her task.



"Starbuck?" Apollo tried the comm. after hearing nothing from the lieutenant for quite some time, "Hey, you back yet?"

He got no answer.

_He should have been back by now. What's he doing down there, playing Pyramid? _Apollo frowned, "Lt. Starbuck, do you read me?"

No answer.

"All right then, I'm coming down there." He set the autopilot and unstrapped. _It's not as if we're going anywhere anyway with this ship stuck in orbit. _He opened a hatch in the floor and climbed down a ladder leading into the hold.

"Starbuck?" Apollo called, "Celeste?"

He walked further into the hold and saw Starbuck lying flat on the ground. He rushed to his friend, "Starbuck!"

The lieutenant had a very black eye, but other than that seemed fine. He moaned, moving his head a little.

"Starbuck," Apollo said.

Starbuck blinked, winced, and got his bearings, "Apollo?"

"Are you all right?" Apollo asked, "What happened?"

Sitting up, Starbuck winced, "I'm fine, ooh, got a headache like a supernova, but I'm in one piece at least." He slowly stood up, "Could have been worse. As for your second question, I'm not sure what happened."

Apollo nodded, looking around, "Where's Celeste?"

"That," Starbuck replied, "Is another good question. My guess is after knocking me out cold and setting self destruct, she hightailed it out of here."

"_Celeste _did that to you?" Apollo gave Starbuck a disbelieving glance. He pointed to Starbuck's eye.

"Not Celeste exactly," Starbuck said defensively, "Seems someone named Isis has taken over her body and is bent on destroying us. And she has a pretty decent right hook."

Apollo glared in concentration, "Isis…that's what Iblis called her in his recording."

"I'd bet a secton's pay he's behind this." Starbuck responded bitterly.

The captain had turned to examine the open panel, "She set self-destruct all right."

Starbuck moved to look, too, "She certainly knew what she was doing. No doubt she has access to Celeste's memories on how this bucket of bolts was put together."

Apollo shot him a foreboding look, "If she knows everything Celeste knows…"

"Then she knows a lot more about Cylons than anyone would want to," Starbuck finished quickly, "Now, think we can get this self-destruct turned off?"

Shaking his head, Apollo looked at the tangled wires and buttons in the panel opening, "We can try."

The _Lemonade _remained serenely in orbit, an internal clock ticking away its final moments. Planet side, the person who had set that clock was just striding into a darkened room. Isis bowed to a figure seated high on a throne.

"It is done, my Master. All is as you said it would be," she reported, her voice low and unemotional.

Iblis smiled, "Excellent, my child, excellent. It's time for your next assignment."

Isis averted her eyes to the floor.

"What is it, my Valkyrie?" Iblis asked her.

"What of the Seraphs?" she asked in response, "What if they assist The One and his comrade again?"

Though Isis sensed his apprehension, Iblis didn't allow it to show outwardly, "They wouldn't dare interfere a second time. The end of my reign is too near, and I doubt very much that they could already be aware of the power of my throne's heir."

Isis nodded, "The humans will probably not wish to destroy me right away, and they will likely retain hope of regaining this body's previous owner." Her deep eye roiled like the seas of Aquarius, yet her demeanor remained eerily calm.

"Yes," Iblis regarded her thoughtfully, "yes, I do believe they will try to do just that. Without success of course. The humans are far too primitive to know how to use The Key or they would have used it long before now," He gave a nod to Isis, "Now go, complete your task and bring me your prisoner."

Isis didn't blink, "As you delivered him to the Colonials, so shall he be delivered to you."

"Very good," Iblis said, "I await your return."

With another bow, Isis vanished.

As soon as she was gone, Iblis allowed his human form to fade into his true form; a hideous demon-like creature with glowing eyes and a face twisted by evil. The entity slumped in the throne, gurgling pathetically. Remaining in human form even long enough to talk to Isis had been an incredibly draining effort. Iblis groaned at how weak he'd become. It was only a matter of time now.



On the bridge of the _Galactica_, amidst the clamor of machinery, reports, and orders, a red light blinked on a console. A low tone accompanied the light, but was lost in the myriad of other sounds. The light blinked and blinked and blinked, unnoticed, as all around it the battlestar shook.

Not one officer was aware how much was riding on that little red light.

Starbuck growled in frustration, "According to this, we've got about three centons before this hunk of felgercarb blows us to bits." He glared at the panel, "Where's the _Galactica_ when you need her?"

"Still fighting, most likely," Apollo replied grimly, up to his arms in the _Lemonade_'s innards.

"Frack!" said Starbuck for the fourteenth time in half as many centons. He scowled at the wiring he'd been trying to undo.

Apollo gave him an understanding disgusted look.

The fight between the Raiders and the Vipers raged on.

"Hey Boomer?"

"Yeah, Zac, what is it?"

"What's that blinking thing on the edge of the scanner screen? Looks like a ship's distress signal, but it's way behind the fleet."

"I don't know…Zac, that's the _Lemonade_!"

"It is?"

"Shuttle signal, Viper signature, what else could it be? Apollo and Starbuck are in trouble!"

"Well, we'd better go help them!"

"Zac…the fleet!"

"The fleet needs the _Lemonade_ and her two best pilots!"

"Well, you do have a point," Boomer smiled at Zac's enthusiasm, "Jolly, take over as Flight Leader."

"Sure thing, Boomer." Jolly replied.

Boomer turned his Viper, "Zac, let's go."

Baltar fumed in his cell on the prison barge. He plotted. He paced. He muttered. He cursed. But no amount of ill feelings would free him.

"If you work up a sweat, you'll soil your clothes."

Baltar jumped at the voice. Being the only prisoner on that row, he had thought he was alone in his misery. He walked to the transparent door of the cell and looked out. To his astonishment, his visitor was none other than Lt. Celeste! She smirked at him.

"Wha, what are you doing here?" Baltar demanded, utterly bewildered.

The young woman's unusually dark eyes flashed. She held up her hand. A cell key card materialized between her fingers.

Now Baltar was _really_ confused.

"My Master wants to speak to you," she said.

Baltar frowned, "What could Adama want with me at a time like this?" The barge rumbled with the sounds of the battle raging around them.

"No!" the woman spat, "Is your mind so limited, Baltar, that you do not recognize me for what I am?" She gave him a condescending look, "It is no wonder the Master chose to mold me for his heir rather than _you._"

Baltar's pale face went paler. He leaned forward into the door and hissed, "Iblis?"

Saying nothing, the woman stuck the card into the door lock. The cell door slid open, and Baltar stepped out, eying what appeared to be his old nemesis, "So, you're not Lt. Celeste anymore?"

"I am Isis," the woman smiled darkly, "Much more powerful than that Celeste person."

Isis nodded slowly to him, "So watch your step. I do possess her temper."

Baltar gulped.

With that, both vanished from the prison barge.



"There they are!" Zac cried, spotting the mottled hull of the _Lemonade_.

"I see 'em." Boomer replied.

"What are they doing?" Zac asked bewilderedly, watching the ship in orbit.

"Boomer to Captain Apollo," Boomer tried, "Boomer to Starbuck."

"Boomer!" Zac gasped, "The computer reads a countdown on board the _Lemonade_! They've got a self-destruct sequence running!"

"Apollo, Starbuck, come in!" Boomer's voice instantly became more urgent. "Must be a malfunction on that benighted contraption!" He banged the viper panels with a fist in frustration. Then he had an idea, "Zac, do you know where the destruct mechanism is located on that thing?"

"In a normal shuttle, it would be the main thrusters." Zac replied, "Might be different on that thing."

"We have no choice. On my mark, target the thrusters." Boomer flipped on his targeting computer. He wanted it to be as accurate a shot as possible.

"What if we hurt one of them by accident?" Zac cried.

Boomer sighed in response, "That's a risk we have to take. It would be better than them being blown to bits. Now remember to target where the thrusters meet the ship. Otherwise, we'll set off a chain reaction just as well as the destruction mechanism would. Ready?"

"I guess."

"Fire!"

The _Lemonade _rocked with the explosive impact of the Viper lasers.

"What in the name of the Lords of Kobal was that?" Starbuck yelled, struggling to keep his balance.

"I don't know!" Apollo cried back. He made his way to the main cockpit to check it out, while Starbuck examined the wiring they'd been desperately trying to repair.

"It was Zac and Boomer!" came Apollo's voice from the cockpit.

"First Celeste and now them?" Starbuck groaned, "What does everyone have against this ship anyway?" Then he noticed the countdown timer.

It had stopped at fourty microns.

In the cockpit, the comm crackled to life.

"Boomer to Apollo, come in Apollo!"

Apollo grinned as he flicked on the transmitter, "This is Apollo. Thanks for the target practice, guys."

"Anytime, Captain." Boomer replied.

"Hopefully not anytime soon," Zac added.

"Are you both all right in there?" Boomer asked, "Where's Starbuck?"

Apollo's grin faded, "We're both doing okay, but…"

"But what?" Zac pressed.

Sighing, Apollo replied, "It's a long story, but we found Celeste."

"You did!" Zac cheered.

"I'm not finished," Apollo interrupted his little brother's celebration, "She wasn't really Celeste. It was some evil being called Isis, who looked like her. She's who set the self-destruct."

"Kobal," breathed Boomer.

"So," Zac moved his viper alongside the _Lemonade_, "How are we going to get her back?"

"I don't know," was Apollo's sad response, "But we're not going to get very far without thrusters."

Starbuck walked into the cockpit, "I just checked. Celeste thought to pack a spare thruster assembly in the cargo bin."

Apollo looked down in thought, "We'll have to land on the planet again."

"I'm really getting sick of that place," Starbuck shook his head.

"We'll escort you in." Boomer suggested.

The three small ships descended into the planet's atmosphere.

Iblis narrowed his eyes at Isis, "Your friends escaped! They have landed their ships near the edge of the woods."

Isis stared coldly at Iblis, "What do you wish, Master?"

"I want you to lead a garrison out to terminate those humans once and for all!" Iblis grinned, "It will be a final test of your loyalty to me."

"By your command," Isis bowed and left to gather her garrison.

Iblis watched her leave, frowning. She was not as eager to do his bidding as he would have liked. Oh well, she would learn enthusiasm with time.

Isis and her Cylons tromped out of the base, fully armed. She wore a silver helmet and heavy laser-proof armor, and carried a long Cylon rifle. Leading the way, she headed down the canyon. Her feet and heartbeat kept time with the marching Cylon footsteps. For an instant, her unblinking eyes fluttered. Then she was once again caught up in the business of the hunt.

They walked for at least a centare across the plain separating the canyon from the woods. It was slow going in all that armor, but the tireless leader drove the centurions onward. They reached the edge of the woods, and Isis raised her gun. She had seen the two vipers and the armed shuttle camouflaged under foliage. Though they were covered fairly well, she recognized their shapes immediately.

She paused, eyes sparkling. Gasping, she blinked. The sparkling stopped. Standing as tall as she could, Isis made the gesture that would send the Cylons into the woods.

They all started moving.

"Halt!" Isis commanded, having second thoughts.

The Cylons obeyed.

Isis strode forward, "I do not need a whole garrison to dispatch a few humans. To prove myself, I will take only two centurions. The rest shall stay here until further orders."

"BY YOUR COMMAND," all of the Cylons said simultaneously.

Nodding to two of them, Isis set off down the path, guessing correctly that the humans had set up camp near Qasha's cabin.

Zac yawned as he sat on a log near the cabin. It was so peaceful on the planet: Cylon base or no Cylon base. He knew that far off in space, the fleet would likely still be fighting, if there was anyone left. Zac looked up. Through the trees, he saw diamond-like stars glistening against a blanket of velvet. Peaceful, regardless of the treacheries and danger they held.

"You coming to dinner, Little Brother?" Apollo asked softly. Zac hadn't noticed him approach.

"Yeah, in a micron," Zac smiled at the captain. Apollo smiled back, but Zac could tell it was forced.

"Don't worry," Zac said earnestly, "The fleet'll be fine, I just know it! Jolly and Ajax and the others will take care of things 'till we get back."

"I know," said Apollo uncertainly.

"And the _Lemonade _'s ready to go first thing tomorrow when we get up." Zac added.

"Mmhmm." Apollo seemed distracted.

"And planet-swallowing croakers will hop out of the sky and zap up all of the Cylons with their mega-fibro tongues." Zac sighed, trying to get Apollo's attention.

"Yeah," Apollo agreed without having heard a word Zac had said.

"Apollo…" Zac cocked his head. He heard a faint whirring and clanking, "did you leave the cook stove on?"

"No," Apollo frowned, "Why?"

Zac frowned too, "I hear something."

"Now that you mention it," Apollo listened, "It's coming from the woods."

"It's getting louder," Zac remarked nervously, "And it sounds like…"

A pulse beam shot from the trees and exploded on the log next to Zac.

"Cylons!"

The two men ducked behind the log just in time to avoid a volley of laser fire.

"Halt!" someone ordered.

The firing stopped.

Zac turned to Apollo, confusion in his eyes, "That wasn't a Cylon. That sounded like Celeste!"

"It was." Apollo's expression was troubled.

Celeste's voice called out again, this time addressing Zac and Apollo, "You are surrounded. Surrender or die."

"At least she gets to the point," Zac said sarcastically.

Apollo switched into "captain" mode, "Zac, get inside and warn Boomer and Starbuck. Have them ready with blasters to defend themselves."

"What are you going to do?" Zac asked.

"Don't ask questions, just do as I say," Apollo ordered, "Now go!"

Zac and Apollo stood. Zac started dashing and the Cylons started firing. Apollo stepped out and distracted them.

"I surrender!" Apollo lied, holding up his hands.

"Cease fire!" Isis called. She stepped out of the shadows, looking Apollo straight in the eye. Apollo tensed uncomfortably, his heart flopping in his throat.

"Captain Apollo," Isis crooned, "What ever are you doing in my forest?"

Apollo gave her an angry glare, "I was about to ask _you_ what you are doing in my friend."

Isis smiled thinly, "A predictable response from a predictable being. I suppose you'll try to get me to give you back your precious Celeste."

The captain continued to glare, hoping he was buying the others enough time to prepare.

Isis continued, "Well I couldn't even if I wanted to," she pretended to inspect her gloved nails, "You see, the personality you know as Lt. Celeste is dead. Her mind was erased to make room for me."

"I refuse to believe that." Apollo stated.

"It's true," Isis nodded once, "Frankly, I don't know how you humans can stand to exist in something so…limited as this single-brain-thing of yours."

"We manage," Apollo replied curtly.

Isis returned his glare, "Indeed you do. But I'm afraid your Lt. Celeste no longer does even that."

"If she's really gone, why don't you kill me?" Apollo demanded, "That's what you want, isn't it? To kill everyone?"

Isis blinked frantically. She closed her eyes tight. When she opened them, they were glowing.

"But there's something inside you stopping you," Apollo persisted, "If there wasn't, we'd all be dead, easily."

Isis shook her head and looked away, her eyes sparkling and roiling.

"You could have killed Starbuck without even thinking about it on the _Lemonade_," Apollo pointed out, "But you didn't. Apparently you don't take up as much space in Celeste's brain as you claim you do."

"Enough! Agh!" Isis cried out as her eyes glowed sky-blue. Shaking, she looked at Apollo with a haunted expression. Tears streamed from her illuminated eyes. For just a moment. Then the expression, the glow, and the tears all disappeared, replaced by Isis' impassive mask.

"I saw that!" Apollo exclaimed.

Isis opened her mouth, but it was Celeste who spoke, "Sorry…so…sorry…please…get out of here! Kill her…she's killing me…"

Regaining control, Isis barked, "You have no place here, human!" She raised her pulse rifle to Apollo and…didn't fire. She tried, but her fingers wouldn't cooperate.

Then the woods vanished. Or rather, she and her Cylons did.

Apollo slumped onto the log, exhausted and grieved. Zac, Starbuck, and Boomer rushed out to him from where they'd been watching inside the cabin.

"Isis is gone." Apollo told them.

Starbuck raised his eyebrows, "At least we know Celeste is still in there."

"Yes," Zac nodded, "But for how long?"

Remembering the horror on Celeste's face, and in her words, Apollo closed his eyes. _Hang in there, Celeste. Please._

_She's strong, Apollo. _Serina said encouragingly.

Apollo sighed, _I hope she's strong enough._



"ISIS!" Iblis yelled at her, "What was that HESITATION?"

Isis stood stoically before him, letting his rage wash over her. Her eyes were flickering madly as she fought to keep that nasty Celeste from regaining control.

"You were sent to do one simple thing, and you failed." Iblis tried to calm himself, "You are weak. I gave you everything you needed to destroy the humans, but you didn't do it!"

Isis' mouth twitched.

"Now," Iblis stood up, "I have no choice but to destroy you."

Calmly, Isis raised one hand, "Allow me to destroy Celeste. If I am successful, there is no need to destroy me, your only heir."

"Hmm," Iblis mused, "You have a point."

"Of course I do…agh!" Isis melted and her eyes widened. Celeste had retaken control, "You can't win, Iblis! I know the secret, the Key, and I know someone will use it before the senton is through!"

"Isis! Kill her!" Iblis yelled, "before I do!"

Celeste and Isis vanished into a swirl of dark gases, while her body lay on the ground. There were screams and cries as the two entities fought for control. Finally, the gases dispersed. The woman's eyes opened.

Iblis sneered, "you have done it! You have killed her. Now, my Valkyrie, you will serve my cause for all eternity!"

The woman sat up, her face blank. She turned to look at Iblis, "I didn't kill her."

"What?" Iblis gave her a dangerous look.

"Her own darkness destroyed her," The woman replied. Celeste's haggard blue eyes glowed with burning as she faced the being that had once killed her captain.

"How…many people have you killed, though? Huh?" she staggered towards him, hoping it was in a threatening manner, "You destroyed…the original Cylon race. You…nearly wiped out…the human race. What were you going to do…once we were gone?" her voice seemed to get stronger, "_Fabricate_ someone to kill?" she coughed and continued, "You burnt our cities, captured our worlds, and tortured our pilots. Our culture is in ruin and society is in disarray. But there are some things that not even _you_ can destroy. And the strongest thing will destroy you. The key…will be…your downfall." She stood before him on weakened legs.

Iblis watched amusedly as Celeste struggled to breathe, "An eloquent speech my dear, but how do you plan to back up such grand words when you can barely _stand _up?"

Taking a shaky breath, Celeste couldn't resist a cocky grin. At least, it made a valiant effort to be cocky, "That's…the…great thing…" she gasped, willing her lungs to hold out just a little while longer, "_I _don't have to…do anything."

"How fortunate for you," Iblis replied dryly.

Sinking to her knees, Celeste gasped again, "Isn't it?"

As though watching a groundworm drown in a puddle, Iblis observed Celeste struggle to stay conscious. He knew, as did she, that the fight with Isis had drained what was little of her resources that had survived the machine. Her body was shutting down, worn ragged by the atrocities that had been forced relentlessly through it.

A gleam of pleasure appeared in Iblis' dull black eyes as he relished the inevitability of her condition…and the anguish her death would give Captain Apollo and Lt Starbuck. Revenge, in its way, would be served.

"Perhaps I should call in Baltar," Iblis mused out loud, "I'm certain he would enjoy seeing this."

Celeste could only glare as she doubled over, coughing.

"Baltar," Iblis called, "Won't you join us?"

Two Cylon centurions arrived with Baltar, who was confined in an energy beam generated by devices carried by the Cylons. The human traitor's face lit up with evil satisfaction as he recognized Celeste, barely coherent, on the floor, coughing spatters of blood onto her hands.

"Well, well," Baltar beamed, "You've finally accomplished the impossible, Count Iblis, I must congratulate you."

"Yes," Iblis feigned nonchalance, "Take a good look, because you're next."

Baltar's smug grin faded, "What?"

"Oh yes," Iblis said disinterestedly, "I've had the machine readied. I just thought you would like to see this before your brain was annihilated."

"But…but…I thought…I'm on your side!" Baltar sputtered.

Iblis regarded Baltar with disgust, "You do not understand by now that I am the only being 'on my side'? You were simply a pawn. I have no further use for you, as my forces are even now finishing off the humans."

"But…I mean, are you sure?" Baltar tried to plead, "Surely there is _some_ use you can think of for me to serve you…"

"Hmm…" Iblis feigned thought, "No."

Suddenly, Iblis said, "Glaak!"

This was because someone's hands had tightened around his throat just as he was swallowing. The result was a sound that very much resembled, "Glaak!"

Iblis stared in surprise at the flickering blue eyes of Lt. Celeste, whose shaking hands still possessed enough strength to prevent him from talking. She matched his threatening attitude glare-for-glare as she spat, "Let…Baltar…go."

Baltar was shocked into silence.

Iblis gagged and tried to push Celeste away with his hands.

The Cylons watched impassively.

Iblis managed to croak out, "You…don't…hate…him?"

Glancing at Baltar, Celeste replied, "Why should I? He was…just taking orders…from you."

A strange thing happened to Iblis. His dark spirit seemed to shrink back in horror. His eyes bugged out as he turned pale. With one weakened thrust of power, he broke from Celeste, sending her sprawling. Gasping, much as she had been only moments before, Iblis stood and towered over Celeste. He didn't see her quick blink toward the Cylons that silently shut them down and set Baltar free. Actually, all he saw were spots until enough air had reentered his being.

Then he was back, but now Celeste knew his secret. Iblis was now mortal.

Celeste thought hard, trying to send a message into Baltar's brain. _Go! While I've got him occupied!_

Baltar nodded and started to slip out, but stopped. He didn't trust this. _Why are you doing this, Lt. Celeste? What are you up to?_

As Iblis roughly lifted Celeste into the air, she fought to understand it herself. _Because no one should go through that machine. Not even the dirtiest of traitors. Not even you._ Celeste paused in her struggle, just as surprised as Baltar to find out that she truly believed that.

Baltar, in his utter astonishment, was rooted to the spot.

_Go! _Celeste thought as Iblis bashed her against a wall, _I won't be able to distract him much longer!_

As the back of her head connected hard with the wall, her spotting vision failed altogether. She couldn't see Baltar standing confused by the door, nor Iblis' insane expression, though she could hear his maniacal laughter ringing in her ears.

_So this is it,_ she thought as she was engulfed in numbness, _funny, I always thought I'd go out in a blaze of glory, not beat to a pulp by an ancient evil lord of darkness deep in an underground Cylon base. I hope everyone's not too broken up when they find out…_

Her mind caved and her surroundings became nothing but a bombardment of evil; relentless and unbearable. It was much like being in the Machine. The evil continued for what seemed like lifetimes, until its end was all she craved. Even if it meant sinking into the dark pit of oblivion she'd been teetering on the edge of since the Machine. But for some reason, her soul wouldn't give up.

Only briefly did a coherent thought surface. In a final act of defiance of death, her body translated the thought to words and sent it out her mouth.

"I'll be seeing you!"

Then Celeste passed out.

And Iblis was lying on the ground, hit by a Cylon rifle. Not dead, but severely rendered unconscious. Baltar dropped the rifle and chuckled at Iblis. Then he looked at Celeste lying still on the floor. _How easily she could have reversed things_, he thought, _She could have used my escape as a distraction for Iblis so that _she _could escape, or at the very least take me down with her. But she didn't. I don't understand. _

As Baltar looked uncomprehendingly at the fallen warrior, he imagined he could see the life draining from her each moment. _She's dying. _

Iblis stirred and Baltar decided it was time he departed.



Apollo stirred in his sleep. Something was knocking. Sounded like wood. Wood on the _Galactica_? He opened one eye. Not the _Galactica_: A cabin, Qasha's old place. Someone was knocking at the door.

Groggily, Apollo stood up. As he headed to the door, he absently checked his timepiece, _Kobal, who would be knocking at this time of night. Wait. Everyone's in here with me except the Cylons. But Cylons don't knock._

Reaching for the latch, Apollo pulled the door open slightly. Seeing who it was, he quickly slammed it shut.

"Please Captain!" said Baltar from outside, "I understand how you feel, and I know it's early, but I really need to talk to you!"

Taking his blaster, Apollo sidled up to the door, "We're talking now."

"It's not something you can discuss through a closed door." Baltar cajoled.

"I'm not going to fall for any of your tricks!" Apollo called.

"It's not a trick!" Baltar cried, "It's a plea from a fellow human being who needs a ride off this planet." He sounded confused, "And also…it's your friend Lt. Celeste. I think she's dying."

A sharp feeling stabbed at Apollo's chest as he choked, "That's old news, Baltar."

"No! I mean she's here!" Baltar's voice rose urgently, "You've still got time. If you can get her to the _Galactica _she may have a chance!"

Apollo opened the door a crack. He could see the other man's eyes nearly crazed with desperation.

"Might I ask why her survival is suddenly so important to you?" Apollo asked dryly.

Baltar's white face dropped and a stunned expression took over from the desperate one, "She…saved my life…saved me from Count Iblis."

Something tore at Apollo's heart. Serina whispered, _Baltar speaks the truth. Strange as it may sound, she did save Baltar. If you hurry, you can still save her. She hasn't given up the fight yet._

Reluctantly and hesitantly, Apollo opened the door and stepped out.

Baltar gazed intently at him, as though worried that Apollo might go back inside, "She's right here."

Apollo knelt down beside the still figure of Celeste. He said nothing as he brushed twigs from her hair. _I've got to stop seeing you like this, Celeste. My poor heart can't take it, _he thought sadly. He noticed that she was barely breathing and took her pulse. It was so weak, he could barely tell it was there at all.

Without a word to Baltar, he called into the cabin, "Starbuck! Boomer! Zac! Get out here!"

They came, sleepily, waking up immediately when they saw the situation.

"Get the ships ready to go!" Apollo ordered hoarsely, "We're leaving immediately!"

They all dashed into the woods, and Apollo reached down and gently picked up Celeste. Cradling the pilot, he followed them down the path. Baltar trailed behind.

Apollo felt a sense of deja-vu from the numerous times he'd been on this planet, the numerous times he'd carried an injured Celeste, and the numerous times he'd been worried about her chances for survival. But this time, he sensed, was different. He could feel her fading fast, even as he held her tightly. With each hurried stride, her legs limply struck his. With each of her ever-shallower breaths, her skin grew paler. With each moment, she slipped further and further from him.

At last, the yellow and gray hull of the _Lemonade _was visible through the trees. Apollo dashed toward it with all of his energy on getting Celeste safely inside.

Zac opened the back of the ship so that Apollo could run right inside. He carried Celeste into the vessel that she'd built with her own, more-than-capable hands.

Ever so gently, Apollo set her down on one of the two fold-out beds. He again felt for her pulse and grimaced, barely noticing his friends approaching with Baltar in tow. Baltar was quickly relating to them his version of the events leading to his escape and subsequent attack of conscience.

But none of that was important to Apollo right now. All he wanted was for Celeste to miraculously recover and be her old self again.

_Tell her, Apollo_ Serina urged.

_Tell her what?_

Apollo could almost see Serina sigh, _Tell her how you feel about her!_

_What good would it do now? _Apollo thought bitterly.

Serina answered, _you'd be surprised._

Starbuck cleared his throat. Apollo hadn't even noticed Baltar finish his tale.

Standing awkwardly in the doorway, Starbuck looked at Celeste, "We're ready to go when you are."

Apollo nodded slowly.

Starbuck winced sadly and nodded back, "Okay guys, fire 'em up! Let's get home!"

Baltar joined Apollo in the _Lemonade_, while Starbuck, Boomer, and Zac left to pilot the three ships.

Apollo watched them go, and watched Baltar silently walk past him and strap himself into a seat.

_If it wasn't for Celeste, Zac and Starbuck wouldn't be here. _Apollo sighed heavily, _neither would Baltar, apparently. She is one remarkable person. Too wonderful to lose. Too valuable…and…_

_Tell her that,_ Serina nagged.

_Serina…_

_Don't you think she deserves to know?_

_Well, _Apollo looked at the pale figure, a strong and spirited person reduced to nearly nothing by an enemy she'd stood up to, _I can't argue with that._

"Celeste?" he choked, feeling the ship vibrating beneath him as they lifted off, "I know it's a bad time. I should have told you sooner. But I guess it's now or never," his throat caught on the last word as he realized that barring a miracle, it was absolutely right, "Celeste…" he tried to control the shaking in his voice, "Celeste, I love you."

_And_, Serina prompted.

"And what's more," Apollo paused to gather his emotions, "I'm _in _love with you."

There. He'd said it. He had admitted it to Celeste, to Serina, and to himself. No one in the universe could take it back now. Not even death could change it.

With a silent sob, Apollo sat on the bed, scooping into a heartrending embrace the still body of the second woman he'd truly loved and lost to her own valiance. He gazed at her closed eyelids, wishing against hope for even a small glimpse of blue.

How he longed for her eyes to flash with good-natured sparks as her lips spouted sarcastic wit! How he wished that she was in the cockpit now, that she was the one holding the controls. Or perhaps arguing with him that she should be.

How he remembered those special times when things had been almost romantic between them. What a couple they could have been! He would have made time to take her to special dinners and recreation. He should have. But he'd always been afraid to admit that he loved her. He'd been afraid of being hurt again.

And now it was too late.

Apollo blinked at his tears, watching them fall onto Celeste's face. He remembered the night on that same godforsaken planet when the tears had been her own, and he'd longed to take her in his arms and comfort her.

He wiped the tears from her gray skin, telling himself that it was really too late for thoughts of love and romance. It was time to say goodbye.

Placing her carefully back onto the bed, Apollo let his lips briefly brush hers in farewell.

Captain Apollo stood and saluted her, and went to seat himself farther forward in the compartment. He wanted to be alone in his thoughts, without Celeste's still form in view.

Which is a shame, for had she been in his view, he would have seen spots of pale pink appearing on her deathly white skin.



"_Lemonade _to _Galactica_ control, request emergency landing run." Starbuck stared at the battlestar looming before them and gritted his teeth, waiting for a reply. The seconds dragged like hours before Athena's voice replied.

"This is _Galactica _control. You are cleared for landing in Beta bay."

"Make sure there's a team of med-techs down there waiting for us," Starbuck said, flying toward the starboard bay.

"Planning on a rough landing, pilot?" Athena asked.

"This is no time for teasing, Athena!" Starbuck urgently cried, "We found Celeste, and she's in bad shape. Just make sure someone's there to meet us. Security, too: we've got Baltar."

"I read you, Starbuck. Sending teams now. Take it nice and easy," Athena advised.

"_Lemonade _out." Starbuck tried to relax as he brought the ship down into the bay. _She'll be all right. She'll be all right. She has to be all right. Frack, Celeste, why do you have to get into so much trouble?_

As soon as the landing gear touched down and the engines were off, Starbuck was out. The med-tech team was already taking Celeste out of the ship on a stretcher. Starbuck blinked. _She looks…better than when I last saw her. Must be the distance. _

"Watch her head!" Starbuck called to the med-techs, eliciting a dirty look from one of them.

Boomer and Zac landed in the bay, but it appeared they were just there to refuel. Starbuck realized he'd forgotten about the fight he'd just flown through. He ignored the security detail that came for Baltar. Instead, he stood by Apollo as they watched the med-techs take Celeste away.

Starbuck started to follow, but Apollo caught him, "It's not over yet, buddy. We've got to get to our fighters."

"What?" Starbuck whirled on Apollo, his blue eyes flashing fiercely.

"Those pilots out there need help." Apollo's words were sure, "We're the best hope they've got right now…"

"Celeste needs us!" Starbuck interrupted, "I can't believe you don't want to be there for her…after all she's been through!"

"I do," Apollo replied firmly, "But she's in the best possible care. There's nothing more we can do for her. We can do something for the other pilots. It's our duty to do our jobs…"  
"Celeste is in there _dying _and you're out here talking about _duty_?" the lieutenant stopped to inhale quickly, "What about our duty to her? As her friend? As her family? What about that? We should be there for her right now! The fleet will be in trouble plenty more times, I'm sure, but this…" Starbuck looked away, "This could be _it _for her!"

Apollo watched his friend with tragedy in his eyes, "You don't think I know that? But I also know that hundreds of lives could depend on us getting out there. Starbuck, the human race is in danger."

With a glare, Starbuck lowered his voice, "I get it. She's just another person to protect, is that it? Just another pilot, expendable in the business of war."

"You _know _that's not true!" Apollo argued.

Starbuck did. He also knew he was pushing it, but that it was too late to stop the torrent of aggravation that had built up in him, "It's different for you! You've got a big family and they're all relatively _safe _at the moment! But she's all I've got, and pretty soon I may not even have _her _anymore! Maybe you'd feel differently if it was _Athena _on that stretcher!"

"That's enough, Lieutenant!" Apollo barked, switching into captain mode.

Shaking with fury and pent-up frustration at the situation and his own helplessness, Starbuck finally shut his mouth. But Apollo could almost see the steam coming out his ears.

"You think it's easy for me to see her like that?" Apollo asked, "Starbuck, I love her as much as you do, but I know she would want us to go out and fight, not hang around the Life Center and worry. Now are you coming, or do I have to order you?"

"You don't have to order me," Starbuck growled through clenched teeth, "Because I quit." He threw down his helmet, "And if you really cared about Celeste or what she suffered for, you'd come with me." With that, Starbuck stalked quickly to the turbolift, leaving Apollo standing alone in the landing bay.



_Kobal. Why does being dead make you so sore? Who's pounding on my head? Soft. Something soft. A pillow. A pillow? Why is someone attacking me with a pillow? Wait, I think the pillow is holding still, and it's my _head _that's throbbing. Frack. Guess my body's throbbing, too. That or I've stumbled into a nest of anti-social bedding. _

Outlet. I need an outlet. I need to express the way I feel. Why, I don't know. Just seems like a good idea. I think I'll try to groan.



"Celeste?" Starbuck grabbed her limp hand after hearing a very quiet sound come from her. A moan? No. A groan. He watched anxiously for any other signs of life.

"Mmplo," Celeste mumbled, her lips barely moving.

"What?" Starbuck leaned closer.

"Strrbk err's Amplo?"

"Oh," Starbuck looked down at the blanket, "He, uh, had something he needed to do."

Her eyelids fluttered a little, "On't go." Then she was gone again into unconsciousness.

Starbuck gently placed her hand back on the bed, "I'm not going anywhere," he said softly.

Cassiopeia walked in, "How's the patient?"

"She woke up again, this time for only a couple of microns," Starbuck replied.

Cassie shook her head, "Dr. Salik did the best he could to eradicate the brain damage. He wasn't able to get it all, but what was left wasn't much more than she had when we met her." The med-tech signed, "I don't understand it. Her body is healing, quite rapidly, actually. She should be getting better. But psychologically, she seems to be getting worse and worse. I'm afraid she might be slipping into a coma."

Starbuck winced, "Isn't there some way to prevent that?"

"No," Cassie replied regretfully, "I'm sorry, Starbuck."

"So am I," said Apollo.

Both Starbuck and Cassiopeia turned in surprise.

"Apollo?" Starbuck asked, "I thought you'd be out protecting the fleet by now."

"I decided the fleet could wait," Apollo looked meaningfully at Celeste.

Starbuck looked sheepish, "About what I said…"

"You were right," Apollo cut in.

"I was upset," Starbuck corrected, "But I'm glad you agree with me now."

Apollo gazed down at the woman he loved, "So am I." He looked toward the ceiling, "Not that it didn't take a little persuasion."

"Apollo." Celeste said.

Instantly he was at her side, "Easy. I'm right here."

"I'm…sorry," she said in broken gasps.

"Shh, it's okay," Apollo told her, "It's over now."

Her eyes opened halfway, looking right into the depths of his soul, "How…can…you…forgive me?"

Leaning closer to her, Apollo told her the truth, "Because I know it wasn't your fault."

Celeste smiled a little, "Hope…the fleet…agrees. Know…what I…know?" She smiled more, " I love you."

"Oh, Celeste," Apollo blinked back tears, "I love you too,"

Something remarkable had happened. Celeste's blue eyes opened all the way. She took a deep breath, her color returning. In fact, she looked almost herself again. Catching Apollo off-guard, she turned her head so their faces were close together. And she kissed him.

And he kissed her back.

Strength flowed back into Celeste's tortured body as she wrapped her arms around Apollo in a heartfelt embrace. The deep-rooted mutual feeling that had been kindled and hidden from the moment they'd met sprung up like an aura around them. The magic in that kiss was unparalleled by any other kiss in human history. It radiated outward in all directions, through matter and space, and for an instant, it seemed to stop time altogether.

Deep in an underground chamber, an ancient evil force was meeting its demise. Already in the throes of death when the aura reached it, the dark entity sank to the floor, overcome by the new wave of positive energy. With a gurgle, it melted and dematerialized. Then it was gone forever.

In space around the battlestar _Galactica_, Cylon raiders all simultaneously retreated. The imperious leader had finally regained control of them from Iblis, and decided to conserve the forces for a later time. With a cheer, the Colonial Warriors headed home.

On the bridge of the _Galactica, _there was much celebration. Colonel Tigh and Commander Adama clasped hands in the traditional Colonial handshake, while Rigel talked Zac in and let him know where to meet her for dinner. Athena startled Omega by impulsively hugging him, though he didn't appear to mind. In fact, he in turn surprised _Athena _by impulsively kissing her, which she didn't appear to mind at all.

In the brig, Baltar sighed, once again a captive. But this time, he was a captive with a cause. He began shouting out, for all who cared to listen, the story of how he had rescued the legendary Lt. Celeste. Fortunately, no one cared to listen.

In the Life Center, Celeste and Apollo had stopped kissing and were now sitting on the bed, holding each other and whispering in each other's ears. Starbuck and Cassie smiled and left the wardroom to let Apollo and Celeste celebrate in private. They did, however, leave together, and head in the direction of Cassie's quarters.



"Really, Apollo, I'm fine with it." Celeste said firmly, trying to convince her best friend, "I'd have to confront them sooner or later."

"It's out of the question." Apollo replied, equally as resolutely.

Celeste sighed. "This time I can walk," she pointed out.

Apollo gave her a serious look over the table, "That has nothing to do with it."

"Nothing?" Celeste raised an eyebrow and took a swallow of her drink.

With half an eye-roll, Apollo shook his head, "You know what I'm talking about. Those people will probably never understand what happened. I'm not even sure _I _understand."

"Well, that makes two of us," the young woman swirled her drink, watching the bubbles run up the sides. Not meeting his eyes, Celeste spoke softly to Apollo, "I really hope no one ever comes as close as I did to understanding whatever it was." She suddenly looked up, her blue eyes troubled. She seemed to stare right past Apollo. Her short hair shone like molten gold in the starlight from the observation lounge window.

"Celeste?"

"Hmm?" She snapped out of her daze and gave Apollo a carefully innocent, naïve smile. At his questioning look, she smiled warmly, "Ah, I'm fine. Just thinking is all."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Apollo asked her.

"What, the public appearance?" Celeste shrugged, "Why not?"

Apollo held up his hands, "Just asking. I don't want you to feel pressured into anything. Especially not by the Council."

"Pfft," Celeste waved a hand, "The Council couldn't pressure me into anything if they shoved me out an airlock."

"I don't doubt it," Apollo said dryly, but there was something akin to pride in his eyes. _No one can make you go against your principles, Celeste. If these ordeals proved anything, that would be it._

"Anyway, enough shop talk" Celeste lifted her glass, "Here's to enjoying the rest of the evening!"

"And the end of the water shortage," Apollo added, clinking his glass against hers.

"Ah, ah, ah." Celeste shook her head, "Anything remotely fleet-saving qualifies as shop talk."

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" Apollo asked laughingly.

Celeste blinked. She cocked her head, "Umm…the weather?" She smiled sheepishly at him, "Felgercarb. All I _am_ is shop!"

"I disagree," Apollo stood up and took her hand. She stood up, too, a bit uncomfortably. Apollo looked steadily into her eyes, "I know very well that there is more to you than meets the eye, Lieutenant."

"Yeah," Celeste nodded evasively, "So, about the weather…"

"Celeste." Apollo chided gently.

"…it's very clear tonight." Celeste finished lamely, half-heartedly gesturing out the window, "Clear skies, with only a slight chance of Cylons."

"Crystal clear." Apollo wandered in her eyes.

"And…" Celeste lost her train of thought, "…and it's very good flying weather…" Her eyes found their way to Apollo.

"It's very good," Apollo echoed.

"Really, really good." Celeste murmured, intensely staring at him, "Best I've ever had."

"Really?" Apollo's hands found hers.

Celeste closed her eyes and smiled, "It makes me want to live, and I couldn't live without it."

"Hey," Apollo pulled her a little closer, "Me too."

Opening her eyes again, Celeste smiled knowingly, "I know, you told me, remember?" She looked down, "Apollo, I just don't think I'm ready to…commit to anything yet. Someday..and there will be a someday…but not just yet."

"I know," Apollo nodded, "And I'll wait. However long it takes, I'll wait. Friends?"

Celeste grinned, "Uh, I think we passed the 'just friends' stage a long time ago!"

"I think you're right," Apollo agreed, "So what are we?"

Celeste thought a moment, "We're a couple…of Viper pilots."

"Fair enough," Apollo laughed.



She stood again at the podium on the _Hermes_. This time, however, she wasn't fidgeting. She wasn't stuttering. She knew what she was there for, and what she was going to do. She was prepared.

"Hello again," Celeste spoke casually, though her heart was pounding rebelliously against her rib cage, "Once again, you asked me to talk at you."

Her eyes swept the audience. All of her closest friends were there. Apollo, Starbuck, Boxey, Athena, Cassiopeia, Boomer, Zac, and Qasha were there, as well as Colonel Tigh, Jolly, Greenbean, Reese, and Darit. Commander Adama would have been there if he could have gotten away from work. She knew he'd be watching on a monitor.

"So here I am," Celeste continued, "And I've got plenty of stories to tell. Which makes me absolutely no different from any of you."

The audience was completely silent.

Grinning inwardly, Celeste shrugged, "So, I'm just asking, why me?" She strode across the stage, "Is it because you think I'm a hero? Or perhaps you think I'm a villain? Maybe you just think I'm more exciting than most people."

The eyes of the audience were on her.

"You want to know the truth?" Celeste frowned, "The real truth is, I'm not a hero. I'm not a goddess to be worshipped. I'm not more intelligent, or brave, or lucky, than anyone else. So I fight Cylons, but I do it with the most advanced technology known to man. So I take risks most people wouldn't…well under normal circumstances I wouldn't either. I may seem courageous, but I'm really just afraid to be any other way. I get angry, I get scared, I get sad, I get excited, sometimes, I get hurt. Just like anyone else.

"Has anyone here lost anything? A home? A family? Have any of you started rebuilding your lives and futures? Survived against the odds? Don't answer that, I know you have. You all have. You're _all _heroes. Anyone who has ever helped distribute food stores, or care for the sick, or patch up an old ship, or did anything to contribute to the human race's struggle for survival. You people that no one ever talks about. The janitors, the agro workers, the flight crews, the mechanics, the textile workers, you're all heroes."

Celeste turned unexpectedly to a camera pointed at her. She glared into the lens, "So stop pointing spotlights at me and have a look at some of the heroes sitting next to you!" She grabbed the camera and yanked it around to face the stunned audience.

"Give 'em all a hand, folks!" Celeste yelled.

The audience erupted in applause.

One person that Celeste hadn't seen was beaming at her from a crowded doorway. He joined into the applause, "That's my girl!" he cried, not knowing how loud he'd said it.

Another man standing next to him turned, squinting, "Lt. Celeste is 'your girl'?"

Chameleon blinked. _Oops. _"Yes, she is my daughter."

The man's look softened, "You must be very proud of her."

"I…" Chameleon smiled in surprise, "I am!" And he realized that it was absolutely true.

For a micron, he thought she caught his eye. He tried to send her as much of an I'm-proud-of-you look as he could in a glance.

For an even shorter micron, it seemed as though she'd smiled at him.

As Chameleon watched, Celeste ran down into the audience and started grabbing people and dragging them onstage. She organized them into a line and led them in a theatrical bow. Her uniform buckles shone and reflected the spotlights, but their brightness couldn't outshine her smile and energy.

_Yes,_ Chameleon thought, _it is absolutely true._


End file.
